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Hell is not a popular or pleasant subject. The “don’t-offend-anyone” crowd doesn’t want to hear about it. Few preachers consider preaching on it, and more and more of them deny its existence. Some just don’t believe anyone’s going there.
Contrariwise, one can’t read the New Testament without facing the stubborn fact of what and how much it says about Hell—the inspired writers obviously counted it greatly significant. Some have rejected what the Bible says about this subject (and others, such as homosexual behavior, same sex “marriage,” etc.), but they can’t deny the clear import of what it says. Jesus said much more about Hell than He said about Heaven. His coming to our world was unnecessary apart from the reality of eternal damnation as a consequence of sin.
Every prohibition of evil, encouragement to righteousness, declaration about sin, and warning about the Judgment innately contains the concept of eternal damnation in a place called “Hell.” What does the New Testament teach about it?
- Men have immortal spirits (Jam. 2:26). Thus we are not to fear the loss of physical life so much as we do the loss of spiritual life in Hell (Mat. 10:28; 16:26).
- Hell is in the spiritual (as opposed to material) realm. Jesus mentioned it as the after-death destiny of various offenders (Mat. 5:22, 29–30; 18:9). Of the twelve times Hell (i.e., gehenna) appears in the New Testament, Jesus used it eleven times to refer to the destiny of the wicked.
- Hell’s characteristics include: Fire (Mat. 5:22; 13:42, 50; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 48; Rev. 20:10, 15; 21:8; et al.). Destruction (not annihilation, but irreclaimable, utter loss (Mat. 10:28; 2 The. 1:9; cf. Luke 19:10). Punishment (Mat. 25:46; Luke 16:23, 28; Rev. 14:10–11; et al.). Separation, banishment from God/Heaven (Mat. 5:29; 7:23; 8:12; 25:41; Luke 13:28; 2 The. 1:9; Rev. 22:15; et al.). No escape from Satan/evil—“second death” (Mat. 25:41; Rev. 20:10. 15; 21:8; et al.).
- Hell is eternal (as is Heaven) with no “purgatory,” second chance, or merely temporary residents (Mat. 3:12; 18:8–9; 25:46; 2 The. 1:9; Rev. 20:10; et al.).
- Hell’s populace includes: Disobedient (Mat. 7:21–23; 2 The. 1:8; et al.). Obedient who apostatize (2 Pet. 2:20–22; et al.). Wicked, immoral (Rom. 1:18–32; 1 Cor. 6:9–11; Gal. 5:18–21; Rev. 21:8; et al.). False teachers (Mat. 15:13–14; 2 Pet. 2:1; et al.).
Nothing has “happened” to Hell, except man’s denial of it.
[Note: I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, August 14, 2009].
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
