CH 12 Jesus’ Words About Hell
This is the chapter I have been struggling over since I began to write this book! Unfortunately for me, Jesus has much to say about Hell and its reality. Thus, in a book about Jesus parables & teachings, to omit his words discussing Hell would be to skip a major theme of his preaching & well as water down the significance of his sacrifice to cover the sins of all mankind. I will say that it is unlikely that I understand the concept of eternal judgment correctly. For that matter, I suspect most preachers and teachers over the millennia have missed it to a great degree also. This I do know; God is love and love is kind and ever so longsuffering. Additionally, the Creator is compassionate and extremely merciful. But, he is also just. His justice is his trait that we run full on against when we consider Hell. For the construct of Justice implies payment for wrong doing.
Since I don’t really understand Hell and its ramifications that well, I will present two alternatives which I feel can be supported scripturally. Again, it is likely that neither are all that correct!
The first position on the nature of Hell, which has been mainline teaching for much of the last two millennia, is that Hell is the place where unrepentant souls spend eternity. It is a literal place created for Satan and his legions and is associated with torment, fire and darkness. It is likely that Jesus spoke often about Hell as he did not, and does not, want anyone to be sent there. The Bible proclaims, “God, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth,” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). You see, Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven (Luke 10:18), he understands the reality of eternal judgement. Thus, in speaking often about Hell’s reality, he is lovingly directing us away from it and towards him. You might say, our Lord understood the stakes involved for mankind. Contrastingly today, Bible teachers, in my opinion, are reluctant to preach about Hell. It’s embarrassing and quite frankly unbelievable that our loving God would send humans to Hell. In America’s past though, this was not the case. The First Great Awakening which started in New England in 1741 and led by Jonathan Edwards and his famous message of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” stirred thousands to repent and turn to the Lord as the reality of Hell became ever so genuine to the souls exposed to the evangelist’s words. But today, sermons discussing Hell are few and far between. In reading the gospels, I sense Jesus would not agree with his church’s approach of using kid gloves for the subject.
Let’s hear some of the Teacher’s warnings;
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and you begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are: Then shall you begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence you are; depart from me all you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Luke 13:24-28
Here we see that the offer of salvation is finite. It can only be received in this lifetime. Once the door of heaven is shut to a person it cannot be opened. It is final and irrevocable! The reason it is taught that there is no second chance after unbelievers meet their Maker is that once an unrepentant soul sees God in all of his glory, that person would be forced to choose God and to love the Almighty against his will. The Creator does not want robots any more than a man would desire his wife to be forced to love him. Giving man free will was the risk our Maker took, full knowing some of his creatures would not choose him. God has sort of maintained a fine balance between keeping His presence evident, yet masked, so people who want to believe, may do so, while others who do not want to call him Lord are also free to make that poor & unfortunate choice.
Perhaps the most well-known words of Jesus concerning the nature of Hell is found in the story of the rich man & Lazarus. Let’s look at this parable and see what the Lord has for us to know.
Now there was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. Luke 16:19
Here we meet an unnamed rich man who had a fine life. Much like most of the people living today in the Western World. If you have roof over your head and a car in the garage you are richer than 90% of all who have ever lived. Being rich in itself is not the problem. But, living in opulence can take one’s eyes off of eternity by the distraction of sparkly things & bling as well as blinding one from the needs of others.
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed from the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. Luke 16:20-21
We see a pathetic person who is destitute and in agony being in full view of the rich man, yet he did nothing to help the beggar’s situation when it was in his power to do so. This is the wealthy man’s sin, God wasn’t calling him to change the World, only to change Lazarus’ world! This he did not do. The rich man had the opportunity to help, yet he passed. We see in the next verse that this potential to help was perishable. It had an expiration date!
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom: The rich man also died, and was buried; Luke 16:22
That’s it, any chance the rich man had to make a difference in life, even in Lazarus’ life, was now over. Unlike tennis, no second serve! The rich man missed it! This is such a word to all of us rich men and women. I don’t want a day to pass without responding to the Holy Spirit’s nudges to intervene and help. To give to and to build up others. To make a difference in the World, to leave evidence of my footprint!
And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 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. But Abraham said, son, remember that you in your lifetime received many good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: But now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: So that they which would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there. Then he said, I pray you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come to this place of torment. Abraham said unto him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, no father Abraham: But if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:23-31
We learn that the rich man is in Hell, but we are not told the reason why. The parable implies that it was due to his absence of compassion for Lazarus, but we know from other scriptures concerning salvation that he also lacked faith in the Savior. That notwithstanding, we see in this story some characteristics of the rich man’s situation. He could see, he was in torment secondary to flames, he was able to recall his mistakes in life and he was concerned for his loved ones still alive that they would not end up with his same fate.
Reading this story, sort of makes you feel sorry for the rich man. I think that was one of the points that the Teacher was making. Life is short, don’t make the mistake of the rich man as you live it! You don’t want to have regrets! In looking at other pictures and listening to other words on Hell, one can come to the conclusion that this story really isn’t about the nature of Hell at all! That is because God taught us that Hell was made for Satan and his henchmen. That is, unrepentant souls. Here we see the rich man is anything but unrepentant! We also note that the rich man sees into Heaven. This contradicts the teaching that Hell is the place of outer darkness, (Matthew 25:30). A placed devoid of light. No, I feel that this story is not really about the nature of Hell at all but about the importance of generosity and compassion. About love and charity, not about the exact nature of eternal judgment as has been taught by Jonathan Edwards and others over the centuries. Am I correct? Only time will tell. One thing for certain, I know that I, like our Father, do not want anyone to go there!
One more thing to note about this parable. Father Abraham said that even if Lazarus would return from the dead, the rich man’s brothers would not repent. That’s it! Hell is separation from God for people who do not want him. We know this is true because One did come back from the dead, his name is Jesus Christ, and yet many souls still do not repent & believe. That dear reader, not the nature of Hell itself, is the point of this story!
Continuing with Jesus’ words, we need to consider his message given by him in his revelation to the Apostle John.
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast & his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 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: And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: And they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. Revelation 14:9-11
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10
This is serious stuff! Hell looks pretty permanent here! For ever and ever. That’s unimaginable to me. More than anything else, this is the doctrine of Hell that trips me up. How can anything done be so bad that the punishment goes on for eternity. Obviously, I don’t understand. One thing these verses do teach me though, is they show me just how bad sin is.
Something else also reveals to me how bad my sin is…
Looking at the suffering our Savior endured to blot out my sins!
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: The snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: Psalm 18:4-6a
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you hear me not; and in the night season, and am not silent…Many bulls have compassed me: Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and you have brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: They pierced my hands and feet. I may tell all my bones: They look and stare upon me. Psalm 22:1-2, 12-17
Devils about him, joints dislocated, heart broken, muscles in spasm, unimaginable thirst, spikes through his hands & feet while the mob stared at him sucking for each breath! This is how the only sinless man who has, or ever will live, suffered Hell for you and me!
Just like I cannot understand the reality and implications of the nature of Hell, so too, I do not understand the veracity of the nature of the Savior’s Passion. He went to Hell so I would not have too! Indeed, the grace of God is mocked if I blow off the horrible nature of sin and the existence of Hell.
And I heard another out of the altar say, even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. Revelation 16:7
Of course, the altar speaks of the Cross. We must view problems, or in this case, the authenticity of Hell, with the lens of Jesus’ sacrifice. When we do that now, and when we become much more enlightened on that future day, we too will say righteous & true are all of your judgments O Lord!
Isaiah makes a comment & asks an important question which I need to consider when searching out God’s judgements & ways.
But now, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64:
For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he has no understanding? Isaiah 29:16
That verse has always cracked me up! It is the height of arrogancy for any created being to put a morality trip on the Creator!
A moment ago, we noted that Hell was made for unrepentant souls. That is, the definition of an unbeliever or an unsaved person is one who will not repent & call Jesus, Lord. This is one of the two arguments for the necessity of Hell being eternal. (I will discuss the second understanding momentarily.) We see in the Revelation examples of the unrepentant heart in the face of overwhelming motivation and evidence to do so:
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. Revelation 9:20
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent (150 lbs.): And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. Revelation 16:21
These verses tell me that the story of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable and not the exact representation of Hell. In the Revelation, souls sent to the Lake of Fire do not repent. In Jesus’ parable, the rich man obviously did!
Now for the second argument for the necessity of Hell being eternal;
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must needs that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offenses come! Matthew 18:6-7
You see, if I cause a “little one,” one who is a literal child, or a child in the faith to stumble and lose their trust & belief in the Savior, well, I in effect have contributed to their downfall and to their future of an eternity in Hell. Thus, the punishment in this case is indeed, not greater than the crime. Eternity for eternity!
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Next, let’s consider a second understanding of the nature of Hell which is less disturbing. But first, let me tell you about Ethan the priest. For Ethan was the psalmist who penned Psalm 89.
Ethan lived in a time in Israel’s history when the nation had been conquered and no longer had a king. Ethan recalled the words recorded in Samuel promising that David would always have an heir upon the throne of Israel. Thus, he was disappointed with God as he understood the Davidic Covenant incorrectly. He did not realize the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is the fulfillment of that Covenant. He did not understand that Jesus indeed has existed from eternity past and thus was sitting on the Throne, but out of sight of his eyes. So too, there are things that I, that we, understand incorrectly which can disappoint us with God. Hell, I feel, is one of those things that we will comprehend more clearly on that day when we see him face to face.
To whom shall you liken me, or who shall be my equal? Saith the Holy One…Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. Isaiah 40: 25 & 28
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? Romans 11:33-34
Indeed, there is no searching of his understanding. His ways are past finding out. No one can really know the mind of the Lord, for his thoughts are not our thoughts, (Isaiah 55-8-9).
So, in that light, let us consider the second, mutually exclusive, understanding of Hell;
The torture language is figurative! Look at Jesus’ tone when he talked about Hell. It certainly wasn’t one of condemnation and judgment, but of compassion and mercy. For he came to seek and save the lost, not condemn them, (John 3:17). Scholars say he was using a teaching method called “extreme statement” in order to emphasize what he was saying and to and to highlight the need to make our salvation sure. Jesus knows of the reality of Hell and thus, he did not want to tone down the horror of being separated from the Father. In this understanding, Hell is estrangement from God. It is existence away from God. (If that is even possible!) It is the consequence of one’s choice, saying, “I am lord” instead of “Jesus is Lord.” God is love, light, peace, hope, mercy & truth. To be parted from that would be to exist in a world of evil, darkness, fear & hopelessness. A place without grace or mercy! That to me, sounds like Hell!
But is Hell eternal torture or is the second death (Revelation 20:13-15) eternal death? Are these characteristics of the absence of God for a moment in time or for all of eternity? Do doomed souls cease to exist or do they go on forever? As I mentioned, I do not understand God’s ways, neither do you. But one certainly may think that eternal torture doesn’t really fit with the nature of God. Again, the punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime. As bad as the Lord’s Passion appeared, it doesn’t seem to compare, in my puny mind, to the torment of eternal fire & eternal hopelessness! Christ’s suffering for sin had an end. We cannot fathom how bad his separation from the Father was for him, but we comprehend that he was soon reunited with his Papa. For this reason, for now, I choose to understand the nature of Hell in this light. That is, separation from all that is good because of a man or a woman calling themselves “lord.” It is eternal in the sense that there is no turning back. And it is ultimately annihilation in a lake of fire & brimstone after first seeing the Lord in all of his glory & bowing before that awesome reality, (Philippians 2:10-11).
One last point which I think corroborates with this second view. In the Old Testament, the sacrifice for sin, was the death of an animal. That is, the shedding of blood covered sin. Nowhere was the animal tortured. Its death was certainly bloody, and in certain instances painful, but it was always quick!
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Either way, I feel the same way our Lord does, in that I do not want anyone to go to Hell. I do not desire souls to be separated from God for eternity. The reality of eternal judgment makes me want to share the good news of salvation. My prayer for myself, and for you, is for boldness and courage in making Jesus known to the lost of our World. I pray that we would ache in our hearts to see souls come to the saving knowledge of what our dear Lord has done for us all. That compassion for people in their state of ignorance or rebellion would drive us to share God’s Word wherever & whenever we can.
Summary:
The summit of salvation blessings is Jesus’ companionship. Hell is the absence of that!
Discounting the reality of sin & Hell waters down the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice to cover the sins of mankind.
The concept of Justice implies there will be payment, there will be punishment, there will be repercussions for and from sin.
It would appear from Jesus’ teachings that salvation is no longer available to a person once they have died and see him in all of his glory.
Hell is a place of separation from God, made for devils. Unrepentant souls choose it!
The Savior suffered Hell for you & me!
It appears from the Revelation that the punishment for rejecting Christ’s sacrifice may go on forever.
When questioning God’s ways due to a lack of understanding the whole picture, end the sentence with a “+” (Cross), not a “?.”
For Further Study:
Does Jesus stop loving souls who choose themselves over him?
Why did our Lord speak often of Hell?
Why was giving man “free will” a risk to God?
What is the sin that seems to anger the Lord more than anything else? Hint: Matthew 18:6-7
Do you accept one of the views of Hell presented here over the other? Why?
Does the doctrine of eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2) have an effect upon your witness for Christ?
How should you witness to a confused soul? To a rebellious one? Hint: See Jude 22-23