What
should I expect in Hell?
Author: Brother
S. Evans
/ Email: holyliving@gmail.com
Why provide a study or commentary
about hell? Based on the Bible, the majority (Matthew 7:13) of humans will end
up in hell, so I want to help people understand what awaits them if they do not
accept Jesus as their savior.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be which go in thereat:
Matthew 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.
Isaiah 5:14
Therefore hell hath enlarged
herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their
multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Isaiah 5:15
And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be
humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
To understand any situation, it is
always valuable to have an actual eye witness account, instead of just hearsay.
Jesus provided that witness when he told of this situation in Luke. Notice that
he actually used names of some of the people involved, unlike when he told
parables and used descriptive titles only. He also said that “there was a
certain rich man” not just a generic representation but a particular person in
the past.
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Luk 16:19
There was a certain rich man, which was
clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day: Luk
16:20 And there was a
certain beggar named Lazarus, which
was laid at his gate, full of sores, Luk
16:21 And desiring to be fed
with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and
licked his sores.
This rich
man fared sumptuously every day of his life, but when his time came to die those
riches could not buy his way out of his eternal judgment in hell.
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Luk 16:22
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels
into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
The rich
man died and his body was buried in a tomb.
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Luk 16:23
And in
hell he
lift up his eyes, being
in torments,
and seeth
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Notice that although
this man’s body is buried in the grave in
verse 22, the 23rd verse tells us that he
is now in hell. The
scripture states that the man was “in hell”, which means that it is a real place
with boundaries, not just a state of mind as some may infer. Could you imagine
the shock when this previously rich man realizes that instantly he is now in
hell for eternity? I don’t really think that we can imagine the awful feeling of
regret and hopelessness that he must have felt.
Since the
text states that he lifts up his eyes, then we can conclude that his being not
only consists of a soul but also a new body.
Since he
lifts up his eyes and sees Abraham afar off, we know that he possesses the sense
of sight and ability of some movement.
We also read that he is in torments. Please note
that this is plural, representing more than one type of torment.
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Luk 16:24
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.
This man
was able to cry and speak to others while in hell, thus this new body had the
ability to speak in an understandable language and possesses ears to hear
others.
He also had
the mental ability to recognized Abraham and Lazarus and understood their
previous positions in life, even though he likely never met Abraham.
This
tormented man seeks mercy from Abraham and asks that Lazarus dip the tip of his
finger in water to use it to cool his tongue. Notice that this man didn’t ask to
be removed from the flames of hell, nor did he ask that a bucket of water be
poured on him, nor did he ask for a cup of water to drink. Why didn’t he ask for
these things? My opinion is that he knew the hopelessness of hell and knew that
the chance of getting any relief was likely impossible, thus he asked for the
smallest amount he could describe. The water on the tip of a finger would only
represent a drop of water. I don’t think we can really imagine the hopelessness
of hell, a place where the presence of God is not felt but the horrors of evil
are everywhere. This rich man’s body has a tongue and it is hot from the flame
around him, thus he possesses the ability to feel heat.
We also
read that he is tormented in this flame. Notice that he didn’t state flames as
in multiple occurrences, but a single flame. This tells me that the fires of
hell never fluctuate and never have a low moment. I interpret this to indicate
that the tormenting fire is constant without relief. This man’s body feels the
heat of the flame and he is tormented. Webster’s dictionary defines “torment”
Extreme pain; anguish; the utmost degree of misery, either of body or mind. In
hell both this “new” body and the mind are tormented simultaneously.
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Luk 16:25
But Abraham said, Son,
remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and
thou art tormented.
This man in hell is instructed by Abraham to
remember things from his life, so we can conclude that a person in hell will
possess a memory of the events from their life. Being that this new body is not
subject the aging process of a mortal body, we can also assume that all of his
past is open to him to recall. I can easily imagine that this memory could be
very vivid and accurate of every mistake and failure that was made.
Can you imagine how horrible it is in hell for a
person to recall the opportunities that the Lord gave them to be saved? All the
regret of the past would torment the mind and bring more agony than the physical
pain, when they realize that they could be in paradise where Abraham and Lazarus
are enjoying the blessings of God. He would recall the times that the Holy Ghost
brought conviction for his sins, when a believer witnessed to him, and when the
minister delivered the scripture to him. Even worst would be those that once
served the Lord, but backslid and died lost (2 Peter 2:20-21). Try to visualize
the horror of the realization that you could have been in paradise (heaven now)
but due to your poor decisions you became entangled again in the pollutions of
worldliness.
2Peter 2:20 For if
after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome,
the latter end is worse with them than
the beginning.
2Peter 2:21 For it
had been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it,
to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Peter 2:22 But it is
happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own
vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
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Luk 16:26
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf
fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can
they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Abraham
explains that there is a gulf or abyss that separates hell from paradise. He
also confirms that there is no option for residents of either place to travel to
the other. Obviously those in paradise would not desire to enter hell, but those
in hell would give anything and everything to get out. Even most prisoners on
earth have some hope of a shortened sentence or parole, but in hell there is no
hope of ever getting out!
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Luk 16:27
Then he said, I pray thee
therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
Luk 16:28
For I have five brethren; that he may
testify unto
them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Even
though this man attempts to pray, his prayers have no hope of being answered.
How many “years” of crying and praying to the Lord for mercy would it take
before the hopelessness to cause the person to finally give up all hope of
relief? Could you imagine how it will be after millions of years to still have
no more hope of release than when they were first cast into hell? As eternity
rolls on, the hopelessness would no doubt continue to grow and the mental agony
gain worse. I cannot pretend to truly understand the horribleness of such
torment as we cannot really comprehend eternity, much less such a place without
any hope of a better day. You see, there is no hope that the next “day” will be
any better or that a pardon will be handed down. You can’t even wait for death
to bring a relief as this is eternal death. The worst pain or sickness suffered
in this life cannot compare to the pains and agony of hell.
The man
in hell pleads for Abraham to send Lazarus back to testify to his five brothers
lest they also end up in hell. He obviously still has the capability to feeling
compassion for his family and does not desire for them to come where he is at.
In some ways this surprises me as I think of the idiom that “misery loves
company”, and how you would assume that this person damned to eternity in hell
would want everyone else to receive the same. That tells me that hell is so bad
that you would not want your worst enemy to be there.
The rich
man expected the testimony of Lazarus regarding death and hell to persuade his
brothers to change their ways and come to the Lord. Obviously this man knew that
the current lifestyles of his brothers were leading them to the same fate as
himself. How many people do you know that are on the road to hell right now?
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Luk 16:29
Abraham saith unto him, They have
Moses and the prophets;
let them hear them.
Abraham answered that the Law of Moses (Holy
Scripture) and the prophets that preached it were available to his brothers. He
said “let them hear them”. Why will more souls end up in hell? Because they do
not hear and obey the scriptures of the Holy Bible.
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Luk 16:30
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one
went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from
the dead.
This man
is still persistent that if a person rose from the dead, that his family would
listen to their warnings, but Abraham states that this would not persuade them
anymore than the prophets. To confirm what Abraham stated, we can ask if the
resurrection of Jesus’ friend Lazarus (Mary and Martha’s brother) resulted in a
great revival. We do know from the Bible that people sought to see Lazarus after
this resurrection event but nothing conclusive about conversions. The Bible does
indicate that the chief priests even consulted about putting Lazarus to death
after his resurrection, so it obviously did not have a positive effect on them.
Will
Hell be moved to a new location?
Revelations 20:12
And I saw the
dead, small and great, stand before God;
and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of
life: and the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works.
20:13
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.
20:14
And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the
second death.
20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire.
No one is
immune to standing before God in judgment, whether they are small or great in
the eyes of man.
Each is
judged by what is recorded in the books according to their works.
The “new
hell” or the Lake of Fire is so terrible that even the existing hell it’s self
will be cast into it. (Rev 20:14) How much worse can the Lake of Fire be than
what is described about the rich man’s torments? Notice that this is declared
the second death.
Today
Hell is a pit in the heart of the earth
Isa 14:15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell,
to the sides of the pit.
Eze 31:16 I
made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell
with them that descend into the pit:
and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water,
shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
Pro 9:18
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the
depths of hell.
Mat 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the
Son of man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth.
Pro 27:20
Hell and destruction are never full;
so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Hell is never full as it enlarges itself to hold each new lost
soul committed there.
Hell
is a place of Darkness
Mat 8:12
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into
outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:13
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away,
and cast him into outer darkness;
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 25:30
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into
outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Hell
is a place of Sorrows and pain
2Sa 22:6
The sorrows of hell compassed me
about; the snares of death prevented me;
Psa 18:4
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Psa 18:5
The sorrows of hell compassed me
about: the snares of death prevented me.
Psa 116:3
The sorrows of death compassed me,
and the pains of hell got hold upon
me: I found trouble and sorrow.
Those
in hell are Bound in Chains
2Pe 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Mat 22:13
Then said the king to the servants,
Bind him hand and foot, and take him
away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
Hell
is everlasting, eternal, forever, and unquenchable
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away
into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.
Hell will be a place of everlasting punishment. Some religious groups teach
that a soul in hell is annihilated or destroyed without an eternal torment. The
Webster dictionary defines “EVERLASTING” as lasting or enduring forever;
eternal; existing or continuing without end; immortal.
Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand,
and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but
he will burn
up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
The fires of hell are unquenchable.
The Webster dictionary defines UNQUENCHABLE as that which will never be
extinguished; inextinguishable. Even if water could be brought into hell, it
could not put the flames out. No amount of weeping, praying, pleading, cursing,
threatening will reduce the fires of hell.
Hebrews 6:2
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
God’s judgment is not pardonable,
but it is eternal (without end of existence or duration).
2Peter 2:17
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest:
to whom the
mist of darkness is reserved forever.
We see two things from this verse
in 2nd Peter. One fact is that hell exists in the mist of darkness. The second
fact is that hell is reserved forever. I don’t want my eternal reservations to
be in Hell, do you?
Mat 13:40
As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire;
so
shall it be in the end of this world.
Mat 13:41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of
his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Matthew 13:42 And
shall cast them into a
furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing
and gnashing of teeth.
Those that offend and do iniquity shall be cast or driven by force into a
furnace of fire. Jesus also tells us that there will be wailing and gnashing of
teeth in hell. The weeping indicates sorrow or remorse, and gnashing of teeth
shows extreme anxiety or pain.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the
devil and his angels:
Again the flames of hell are
referred to as everlasting. Jesus also tells us the original purpose of hell, in
that it was prepared as punishment for the devil and the fallen angels.
Mark 9:43
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter
into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell,
into the fire
that never shall be quenched:
9:44
Where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
This is
“eternal damnation” in a fire that shall never be quenched. We could not suffer
this level of torture on earth since death would end that source of pain, but in
hell it will never end.
The term
“worm dieth not” has been interrupted in various ways. Some have said that it
refers to demonic creatures that devour the flesh of the damned while others say
it represents the outline of the body that is never completely consumed.
Personally, I think that the word “worm” refers to the soul of man, as it is
never annihilated. I base this view on the use in the verses from Job 25:6,
Psalms 22:6, and Isaiah 41:14. Either way, there is no comfort in any of the
interpretations.
Revelations 2:11 He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not
be hurt of the
second death.
I have
heard some people say that hell will not last forever, because Revelations
2:11,20:14 refers to a “second
death”. The problem with this understanding is that this second death lasts
forever. There are too many references to hell being “eternal”, “everlasting”,
and “forever” to think otherwise. Can you imagine how horrible it will be to
experience death over and over forever?
The
Judgment of God
Hebrews 9:27 And as
it is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment:
9:28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them
that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Acts 17:30
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now
commandeth all men every where to repent:
17:31
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that
he hath raised him from the dead.
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye
saved, all the ends of the earth: for I
am God, and there is none else.
45:23 I have sworn by
myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,
That unto me every knee shall bow, every
tongue shall swear.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I
live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess
to God.
14:12 So then
every one of us shall give account of
himself to God.
Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That
every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall give account thereof in the
day of judgment.
Matthew 12:37 For
by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Every
person will bow before Jesus and be judged from the records that God has kept.
What will it be like to be a sinner standing before the creator of the Universe
and explain why we rejected him!
Could
a merciful and loving God send my soul to Hell?
As John
3:16 states, God the Father provided his only begotten son (Jesus Christ) as the
ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He created mankind with a soul and the capacity
to make his/her own decision about who they will serve. If we turn down the
Lord’s gift of grace and spend eternity in hell, we have no one to blame but our
self. What will your choice be?
Hell was
made for the Devil and his followers (originally just the other fallen angels),
so if we choose to follow Satan then we have made our decision. You may say that
you aren’t following Satan, but if you refuse God, then by default you are a
servant of Satan.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Revelations 14:10
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:
Revelations 20:10
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 forever and ever.
Isaiah 5:14
Therefore hell hath enlarged
herself, and opened her mouth without
measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that
rejoiceth, shall descend into it. 5:15 And the mean
man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of
the lofty shall be humbled:
2Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels
that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to
be reserved unto judgment;
2:5
And spared not the old world,
but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the
flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2:6
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them
with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live
ungodly;
2:7
And delivered just Lot, vexed
with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
2:8
(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed
his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds);
2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to
reserve the unjust unto the day of
judgment to be punished:
How bad can Hell be?
I’ll just
burn up and that is the end of it, right?
Hell will
be worse than any nightmare that you could ever experience. From the verses
provided in this study, we can see that those condemned there will burn in
flames and experience bites upon their flesh. Hell will be full of souls, but
each will seem to be in isolation in a void of darkness. We read from Luke that
the “rich man” saw those in Paradise and that they weren’t suffering this
torment. Could you image enduring this pain and then the mental agony of seeing
what you missed out on? If you go to Hell, you will have plenty of time to
regret refusing the Lord’s gift, but remorse at that time will be too late. Once
we pass from this mortal life, we have established forever our eternal destiny.
Who
is going to Hell?
I think the question of who is
going to hell or not going to heaven are best answered by the following two
verses.
Rev 20:15
And
whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Whosoever‘s name is not found
written in the book of life (not born again) will go to hell. That is as plain
as the Lord can make it. If you are not saved when you leave this life, then you
will be committed to hell for eternity.
There are many verses that
illustrate the lifestyles and sins committed by a lost person and how they
cannot enter heaven with these weights of sin.
Heb 3:17
But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18
And to whom swore he that they
should not enter into his rest,
but to them that believed not? Heb
3:19 So we see that they
could not enter in
because of unbelief.
Mat 7:20
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat
7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but
he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat
7:22 Many will say to me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat
7:23 And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you:
depart
from me, ye that work iniquity.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men,
and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Mat 24:11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12
And because iniquity shall abound,
the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13
But
he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Those that do not endure until the
end will not be saved, as their love of God will wax cold.
Psa 9:17
The
wicked
shall be turned into hell, and
all the nations that forget God.
Luke 18:17
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child shall in
no wise
enter therein.
Rom 1:24
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their
own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
Rom
1:25 Who
changed
the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the
Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Rom 1:26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their
women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom
1:27 And likewise also the
men,
leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in
their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly,
and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Rom
1:28 And even as they did
not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29
Being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom
1:30
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents, Rom
1:31
Without
understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful: Rom
1:32 Who knowing the
judgment of God, that
they which commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Eph 5:1
Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children:
Eph 5:2 And walk in
love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.
Eph 5:3
But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once
named among you, as becometh saints; Eph
5:4 Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not
convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Eph
5:5 For this ye know, that
no
whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Mat 13:41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of
his kingdom
all things
that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Matthew 13:42
And
shall cast
them
into a
furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 5:27
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery:
Mat 5:28
But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart. Mat
5:29 And if thy right eye
offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee
that one of thy members should perish, and not that
thy whole
body should be cast into hell. Mat
5:30 And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee
that one of thy members should perish, and
not that
thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:31
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her
a writing of divorcement:
Mat 5:32
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for
the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall
marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery.
1Jn 2:15
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn
2:16 For all that is in the
world,
the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn
2:17 And the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
1Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Corinthians 6:10
Nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh
are manifest, which are these;
adultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
Galatians
5:20
Idolatry,
witchcraft,
hatred,
variance,
emulations,
wrath,
strife,
seditions,
heresies, Galatians 5:21
Envyings,
murders,
drunkenness,
revellings, and
such like: of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:24
And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said,
How hardly
shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Luke
18:25 For it is
easier for
a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God. Luke
18:26 And they that heard it
said, Who then can be saved? Luke 18:27 And he
said,
The things which are impossible with
men are possible with God.
It is not impossible for a person
rich in the world’s goods to enter heaven, but it is more difficult.
1Cor 1:26
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble, are called: 1Cor
1:27 But God hath chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Cor 1:29
That no
flesh should glory in his presence.
Not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty people, and not many noble will make it to heaven.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Matthew
7:14 Because strait is the
gate, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Rev 22:15
For
without
are dogs, and
sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie.
The
Webster dictionary explains that the use of the term “dog” for a person is that of reproach, contempt, or moral impurity.
Whoremonger refers to one who
practices unlawful indulgence of lust, fornication, or adultery. An
idolater is ne who worships as a
deity that which is not God. One that maketh a lie utters false information for the purpose of deception.
How
can I ensure that I do not go to hell?
The same scriptures used above also
tell us how to ensure that we do not go to hell when we die.
We must be born again and thus have
our name entered into the book of life. We must also live a holy life through
the sanctifying power of the Lord and ensure that our relationship with the Lord
endures until the end.
Rev 20:15
And
whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men,
and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Mat 24:11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12
And because iniquity shall abound,
the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13
But
he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Conclusion:
1Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The verse above says that we cannot even imagine
(enter into the heart of man) how great heaven will be. I think we can give Hell
the same comparison, that you cannot image the horrors and extreme torments that
exist there.
I fear
that even Christians do not fully understand the seriousness of being sentenced
to Hell or the Lake of Fire. This lack of understanding is due to the limited
capability of the human mind in understanding eternity. In our meager mortal
existence, we see that everything in our world has a start and end, just as we
are born and eventually die. It is hard to understand the concept of something
lasting forever. For us “forever” means a lifetime or less than 120 years, but
to God forever has no end. We could be in Hell or Heaven for
99,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 years and
still have just as long left as when we started. When a criminal is committed to
prison, they typically have a jail term to serve with a fixed number of years,
but Hell doesn’t work that way. As I write this commentary, I pray that God will
open your eyes (sinner and Christian) to the seriousness of eternal damnation in
Hell. If he does open your eyes, then it would cause sinners to repent and
Christians to pray and fast for their lost loved ones like they have never
prayed before.
As
Christians, if we can grasp this understanding of eternity, then we can see the
gravity and seriousness for every lost soul. Each sinner is only a breath away
from burning in a Hell that was planned for Satan!
I’m not talking about suffering for a few minutes and being burned up, we
are talking about a repetitive continual dying that will never end! I hope this
basic study of Hell will place a burden on each reader to petition the Lord for
our lost and grow closer in our own experience. May God give us a vision of Hell
and an understanding of the reality of eternity.
Brother S. Evans
Email: holyliving@gmail.com