Get Devotions In Your EmailHave You Accepted God's Gift of Love, Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ? Tell Me More
For a better viewing experience, please enable Javascript
What is Hell?
Send
to a Friend
Print
Hell seems to be one of the most debated ideas with Christianity. What exactly is Hell? Is it a physical place, an idea, eternal physical death/ soul extinction, or the fiery furnace?
According to the Bible, Hell is a physical place, one of eternal darkness, eternal separation from the light (remember that Christ referred to himself as the light (John 8:12) and the way).
So what is Hell like?
1. Hell is a place of an eternal, unquenchable fire
2. Hell is a place full of memory and remorse, a place where you cannot escape your past, and instead must dwell on your faults for the rest of eternity.
3. Hell is a place of eternal thirst and wanting. As we can see from #2 the Rich Man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water just to cool the burning from the fire. Many scholars believe that this thirst is not just a literal thirst for water, but a thirst for mercy and grace... the very items they refused on earth.
4. Hell is a place of eternal frustration, anger, misery, and pain.
5. Hell is a place of eternal separation from God.
6. Hell is a place of God's eternal wrath, a place originally created for Satan and the fallen angels.
Who Will Go to Hell?
1. Satan, whom Hell was originally prepared for... the angel who led the rebellion against God.
2. The Antichrist (literally meaning "in place of" Christ) also referred to as the "beast."
3. The False Prophet who accompanied the Antichrist/ beast.
4. The fallen angels, or the angels that followed Satan in his rebellion against God.
5. Those who are not saved (see doctrine of salvation).
According to the Bible, Hell is a physical place, one of eternal darkness, eternal separation from the light (remember that Christ referred to himself as the light (John 8:12) and the way).
But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 8:12 (Matt 22:13) (Matt 25:30)
- Matthew 8:12 (Matt 22:13) (Matt 25:30)
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
- 2 Peter 2:17
- 2 Peter 2:17
So what is Hell like?
1. Hell is a place of an eternal, unquenchable fire
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
- Matthew 3:12
- Matthew 3:12
The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 13:41-42
- Matthew 13:41-42
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.
- Mark 9:43
- Mark 9:43
2. Hell is a place full of memory and remorse, a place where you cannot escape your past, and instead must dwell on your faults for the rest of eternity.
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.' "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.
- Luke 16:24-25 (in context Luke 16:19-31)
- Luke 16:24-25 (in context Luke 16:19-31)
3. Hell is a place of eternal thirst and wanting. As we can see from #2 the Rich Man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water just to cool the burning from the fire. Many scholars believe that this thirst is not just a literal thirst for water, but a thirst for mercy and grace... the very items they refused on earth.
4. Hell is a place of eternal frustration, anger, misery, and pain.
he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 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.
- Revelation 14:10-11
- Revelation 14:10-11
They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 13:42
- Matthew 13:42
He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 24:51
- Matthew 24:51
5. Hell is a place of eternal separation from God.
Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years... Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- Revelation 20:6, 14-15
- Revelation 20:6, 14-15
6. Hell is a place of God's eternal wrath, a place originally created for Satan and the fallen angels.
He, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
- Revelation 14:10
- Revelation 14:10
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
- Jude 1:7
- Jude 1:7
But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
- Matthew 11:24
- Matthew 11:24
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.
- Matthew 25:41
- Matthew 25:41
Who Will Go to Hell?
1. Satan, whom Hell was originally prepared for... the angel who led the rebellion against God.
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.
- Revelation 20:10
- Revelation 20:10
2. The Antichrist (literally meaning "in place of" Christ) also referred to as the "beast."
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
- 2 Thessalonian 2:8
- 2 Thessalonian 2:8
3. The False Prophet who accompanied the Antichrist/ beast.
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.
- Revelation 19:20
- Revelation 19:20
4. The fallen angels, or the angels that followed Satan in his rebellion against God.
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...if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.
- 2 Peter 2:4, 9-10
- 2 Peter 2:4, 9-10
5. Those who are not saved (see doctrine of salvation).
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.
- Revelation 21:8
- Revelation 21:8
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
- John 3:18-20
- John 3:18-20
John 8:12
[12] Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Matthew 22:13
[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.
Matthew 25:30
[30] And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
