A few years ago the magazine “U.S. News and World Report” ran a front page article about Hell. The cover depicted a cartoonish Devil with a big, political-type grin, looking over a sea of flames. On little islands in the fiery sea were happy people basking in the heat, tanning themselves, while cartoon-like demons served them liquid refreshments. Readers could tell that it was the devil presiding over this hellish resort spa, because he had cloven feet, a pointed tail, and goat-type horns. But he was also wearing the newest style of sunglasses, Bermuda shorts with an Hawaiian shirt hanging loosely over his pot-belly. His grin wasn’t diabolical. As I say – it was political. The article pointed out that through sheer population growth, more people believe in Hell today than ever before, but they believe in a different kind of Hell than our grandparents did. Hell used to be a place of fiery torment, with weeping and gnashing of teeth, but the modern, politically-correct hell is benign, embarrassing and cartoonish. Hell is still a place to be avoided, but it’s more like taking a Caribbean vacation and stupidly getting booked into a third-rate hotel with only one bathroom at the end of the hall. You don’t want to tell co-workers you ended up in a Hotel from Hell – even if it’s still in the Caribbean.
We are a “whole-counsel-of-God” preaching Baptist church. We preach about Hell often, and most of the members of this church couldn’t be moved from this doctrine with a bulldozer. But some of the most popular writers and preachers of our day are casting ridicule on the Biblical doctrine of Hell. As a result, no preacher should assume that the young people in his congregation still cling to the Truth. As we have seen with our own eyes, even those who once believed or said that they believed in a literal Hell, can be moved – there are very big bulldozers out there these days. Amidst all that the pastor can and should preach, I apologize for not preaching on Hell more often. This is a subject which must be heard and understood at least to some degree. Fortunately, this is a doctrine which can be taught either simply or in great detail. Either way, it must be preached often and forcefully. It is not enough to assume that it is a apart of our common faith.
Hell is a LITERAL place.
“Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Do you remember way back in your ancient history, when you were learning about the different parts of speech and vocabulary? I’ve told you this before, but I remember when a teacher of mine described what is and isn’t a preposition. She said, “Picture a tree and a squirrel.” All those words which describe the relationship of the squirrel to the tree are called “prepositions.” It is in the tree or on the tree; it has a burrow under the tree, and it might run around or from the tree. In the case of this verse, the squirrel is IN hell – as literal a place as a tree.
There is a common song in most hymn books called “Beulah Land.” “Beulah” is a Biblical place found in only one verse in Isaiah – (62:4). The etymological definition of “Beulah” refers to the place of marital bliss. Young’s Concordance describes it this way: “A symbolical name which the land of Israel is to bear in its future prosperity.” The “Beulah Land” of that hymn cannot be found in my “National Geographic World Atlas.” It doesn’t exist, and even half way through the Millennium, it may still not be found on a map. It is figurative; it is a symbolical place. But, unlike “Beulah Land,” Hell is not a figurative, symbolical place. Hell is as real a place as the Province of Ontario, even though you have never visited Ontario.
When was the last time that you read Dante’s “Inferno”? “The Inferno” is part of an epic poem in which one man used his imagination to describe Hell. And although admittedly poetical rather than Biblical, doctrinal or prophetical, it holds a lot of truth. Our great-grandparents, in the days prior to television, actually read stuff like religious poetry. Along with sermons from thousands of preachers like Whitefield, Edwards, Marshal and Stearns, the reality of a literal hell was firmly cemented into the minds of even nominal Christians two hundred years ago. Two hundred years ago Hell was a chamber of horrors – and despite perceptions, it has not changed.
We read from Revelation 20 a few minutes ago. That was not an allegorical chapter, a poetical chapter, or a symbolical chapter. The events of that chapter shall occur exactly as they were described. Listen to verse 10 once again: “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Notice that the Devil is not the owner and operator of Hell; he will be its foremost inmate. Notice that he will join the anti-Christ and the false prophet there. And notice that this is the language of a place, a location, a site – as real as the prison at San Quentin. Then there is verse 15: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The word “cast” is the Greek word “ballo.” Perhaps you have never noticed, but very frequently, when the Bible talks about people going to hell, the word “ballo” is used. Souls are “cast” into hell – Matthew 5:29, 8:12, 13:42, 13:50; 18:8; 22:13; 25:30. I didn’t even begin to list the verses in the rest of the gospels or epistles. What is so special about the verb “to cast”? Absolutely nothing. But it does suggest something real being thrown into some place equally real. Like throwing dirty laundry into a clothes hamper. Hell is as real and literal a place as New York City, even though I’ve never been to either one.
Hell is the PROPERTY of Jehovah.
“Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Who does have the power to destroy both body and soul in hell? I don’t have that power; my wife doesn’t have that power. People sometimes euphemistically say that so-and-so has turned their lives into a living hell, but they are wrong. And Satan is not the governor of Hell today or of the Lake of Fire tomorrow. “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” 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.”
At the beginning of the Book of Revelation, we have a general introduction by John. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” And then John described how Christ Jesus appeared to him. “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Who is that has the power to destroy both body and soul in Hell? As the Lord Jesus implies, there is only one being in all the universe who has authority like this. And other scriptures tell us that it is the very person who is speaking – Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Hell is also a PERMANENT place.
There are more and more popular theologians teaching a temporary punishment for sins. It has been Roman Catholic dogma that after a few years of centuries – after enough money and enough masses – sin can be burned out of the sinner’s soul, and he will eventually be made fit for Heaven. Today, there are plenty of Protestants who have ceased to protest that doctrine and who have assimilated that heresy. There are others who believe that God is too kind and loving to eternally punish the wicked. Some say that the term “Second Death” indicates that God will annihilate the really, really wicked, and that there will be no continued punishment or the worst of humanity. They quote our verse in Matthew 10 along with II Thessalonians 1:9 as proof of their kind theory: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The wicked “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” These verse tell my heart something precisely the opposite to what the hell-deniers claim.
The word “destruction” is found four times in the Bible and is translated no other way than “destruction.” According to any standard dictionary the word “destruction” has two primary meanings: The second is “the condition of having been destroyed,” And the first is “the act of destroying” – Destruction is the act of destroying something. Even when a demolition team destroys a building in a series of explosions, the destruction of that building takes time, albeit only a few seconds. When they say that the Parthenon in Athens is being slowly destroyed by air pollution, even though it may take another 1,000 years, it is in the process of destruction. And when II Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of “eternal destruction” it is saying that the process of destruction has been ordained by God to take all of eternity.
As I have said several times in recent months, as God is eternal, so is everything else which He declares to be eternal. Eternal life can never come to an end, because it is as eternal as God Himself. And, sadly, so is the process of eternal destruction. Conversely, if the wicked are only temporarily punished, then it might be argued that the saved will only be temporarily blessed in Heaven. Eternity is just as the dictionary defines it. Hell is never-ending, Heaven is never-ending, and God’s salvation is never-ending, because the God who is the source and cause of these things is never-ending. Hell is a literal place and it is a permanent place.
It is also a sort of PRIVATE place.
On the cover of that “U.S. News Magazine,” the denizens of hell, were partying with their friends. I have actually heard wicked mouths say that they wanted to spend eternity in hell, because that is where their friends will be. Sometimes in the movies, just before the one bad guy blows away the other bad guy with his 357 Magnum, he says, “I’ll see you in Hell!” The fact of the matter is that neither is true.
Seven times in the Bible… Perhaps I should say, seven times from the lips of the loving Lord Jesus, we hear a reference to “outer darkness.” In Matthew 8:12, for example, the Saviour told us, “They shall be cast into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” In the context of that statement the Lord tells the story of a banquet hall where there are a number of happy, well-fed people enjoying the fellowship of the Son of God. But there are some interlopers in the crowd; people without invitations; people who would like to eat the Lord’s meal and then slit His throat if at all possible. These who are not wearing the wedding garments; who don’t have the gilded invitations; whose pictures are on the post office bulletin board… These people are rounded up and thrown out of the banquet hall into the cold blackness of the unlit night
Hell will be a place of separation. I believe the Bible when it says that “every good thing and every perfect thing cometh from above, from the Father of lights, in whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.” When the wicked are cast into utter darkness, away from the Father of lights, they will, from that moment forward, never again enjoy anything good or perfect, except perfect judgment. They shall be eternally separated from God, and that is probably the actual meaning of the terms “Second Death” and “Eternal Death.” As I have said before, on several occasions I have taken tours into the heart of the earth. I’ve been in gold mines, silver mines and in natural caverns in various parts of the country. On several occasions the tour operator has turned out the lights, to show us the depths to which blackness can reach. In those circumstances, even with a couple dozen other people nearby, I was alone. I knew that my family was standing beside me, but until I heard the voice of one of them, my mind told me that I was absolutely alone. The outer darkness of hell will be utter darkness as well. The fires of Hell doesn’t mean that the place will be illuminated.
It is true that there will be billions of people in that utter darkness. It is true that I don’t know how big the sea of fire and brimstone will be. But there will be no enjoying the fellowship of your neighbor, because in the midst of that darkness….
Hell will be a PUNISHING and PAINFUL place.
“Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Not any of us here today has ever died, so death is not something that we have personally experienced. I have been in the presence of a few who left this earthly life through death, but they have all been relatively peaceful through the “marvels of modern chemistry.” I have read many, many accounts of the most terrible deaths – natural, semi-natural and man-caused. There may be a thousand absolutely terrible ways to die – painful, excruciating ways to die. How about being flayed alive – having your skin pealed off your body while you watch. How about being slowly eaten by bugs, bite after painful bite? How about slowly roasting over an open fire?
In this verse, the Lord Jesus gives us permission to imagine the very worst possible means of death. And then He says that death is nothing compared to the destruction of body and soul in hell. “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
A few moments ago, I described a situation of total darkness. Perhaps you too have been in one of those caves or mines. Take yourself back there and imagine it once more. Now add another ingredient: moaning, teeth-grinding, screaming, sobbing and the sounds of absolute terror. Spending 15 seconds in total darkness with 24 other terror-struck people will seem like 15 minutes. If those 24 others were screaming in genuine pain, your own torment would increase a thousand fold.
Now think back to II Thessalonians 1:9: “The Wicked shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the present of the Lord.” The word “punish” reminds us of the purpose of Hell. And its hard to explain how punishment could be inflicted upon something dead or unconscious. Why does Matthew 8:12 speak about gnashing of teeth in this place of outer darkness? Because the residents of Hell will be in so much pain that they will be grinding their teeth in agony. Why does Matthew 10:28 say that we should fear the God who casts into Hell more than the murderer who can slowly flay you until all your blood drains from your body? Because the pain of hell is beyond the pain of any variety of death. Why does Matthew 13:41 speak about Hell as a furnace of fire? Because that is one of its characteristics. Why does Matthew 18:8 say that it’s better to cut off one’s hand than to enter Hell? Because there is no loss or pain on earth than can begin to compare to what is in store for the Hell-bound sinner. Why did the rich man of Luke 16 plead for a drop of water to cool his tongue? Because even though he was not yet in that final Hell, his punishment was so great that a single drop would have greatly eased his torment.
People say, “I refuse to worship a God who could be so cruel as to judge any man in this way.” I respond by saying that the judgment of hell cannot compare to the judgment that the Son of God endured on the cross to keep sinners from that Hell. How can we refuse to worship a God who has done so much to save worthless sinners like us from Hell? As I study the final judgment of the wicked, I don’t hear any mutter of defense. I don’t think that the people in Hell will quarrel with God over their fate. When they see that their Judge is the Saviour of others…. When they remember that they were warned of the sinfulness of their sin… When they remember that they were convicted of actual crimes against God… When they realize that they too heard the invitations of the gospel, and they turned and laughed… They won’t have a response, or reply, or retaliation against the God who condemned them.
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? The avenue of escape from the eternal fire of Hell is at the foot of Jesus’ cross. He paid it all, all to Him we owe. Repent before God, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who bore the effects of Hell on behalf of the believer.