A Biblical Examination of Hell – Diagram 1

A Biblical Examination of Hell

By Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573| Walnut Grove, MN 56180 | Telephone (507) 859-2519

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HELL IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT

Hell in The Old Testament

The word “Hell” appears in the Old Testament approximately 31 times and, without exception, is translated from the Hebrew word “Sheol.”  This same Hebrew word is also translated “pit” three different times.  “Pit,” translated from Sheol, is found in Numbers 16:30,33 and Job 17:16.  Hell is referred to as a pit three times, both being the same place.

Sheol is not the grave.  A mistranslation–”Sheol” is also translated as grave approximately 25 times in the Old Testament, which has caused much confusion concerning the Doctrine of Hell.  Jehovah’s Witnesses utilize this translational error to the fullest, claiming Hell is the grave and nothing more.  When we look at the Hebrew we find that the word “gibrah” is properly used for “grave.”  “Gibrah” is translated throughout the Old testament as “grave, burying place, and sepulcher,” and properly so.  Sheol is never in any case in the Old testament ever referring to grave, burying place or sepulcher; but, rather a place located in the center of the earth.  The grave, burying place and sepulcher houses our dead bodies, but Sheol is the compartment that contains the souls and spirits that will never die and which were in those earthly bodies.

Here are a few of the places where the Hebrew word “Sheol” is mistranslated as grave in the Old testament. Beside the passages in parenthesis is the way it appears in the Revised Standard. The Revised Standard has transliterated, i.e., put the Hebrew word “Sheol” itself in the English translation.  There is one exception where Sheol is translated as “Pit” by the Revised Standard and that is Job 33:22. This would be correct, since Sheol is a pit located in the center of the earth.

1. Job 7:9 (Sheol).  “As a cloud is consumed and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.“
   

2. Psalm 6:5 (Sheol).  “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave, who shall give thee thanks.“
   

3. Psalm 31:17 (Sheol).  “Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.“
   

4. Psalm 49:15 (Sheol).  “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me.“
   

5. Job 33:22 (Pit).  “Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.“
   

6. Isaiah 38:18 (Sheol).  “For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the Pit cannot hope for thy truth.“
   

7. 1st Samuel 2:6 (Sheol). “The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.“
   

8. Hosea 13:14 (Sheol). “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: … O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.“

The correct Hebrew word for grave, burying place or sepulcher is “gibrah” and is never used in reference to Sheol or the Pit, located in the earth’s core.  In the manner of the Hebrew, “Sheol” is referring to it’s own place and not that of the grave or sepulcher at any time.

Here are a few of the places where “gibrah” is properly translated in the King James as grave, sepulcher and burying place:

1. 1st kings 13:30, “And he laid his carcase in his own grave…“
   

2. 2nd Samuel 3:32, “And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner…“
   

3. Psalm 88:5, “Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more…“
   

4. 2nd Samuel 2:32, “And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father…“
   

5. Genesis 47:30, “But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.“

I have taken a little time to point out this translational error as it is imperative if one is to understand that the grave and Sheol are entirely two separate places.  If this is not brought into focus, then the mistranslation would lead one to believe that Hell is the grave and nothing more. Again, I want to point out that this is the teaching of Armstrongism, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many of the cults–that is why it is so important to understand the difference in the Hebrew words and when they are and not properly translated concerning this subject.

This is by no means an exhaustive word study, but a brief look to distinguish the difference between the grave (gibrah) and Sheol (Hell).

In the King James translation, without exception, everywhere in the Old testament where the word “Hell” appears, it is always the Hebrew “Sheol.”

1. Isaiah 5:14 (Sheol). “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.“
   

2. (Psalm 9:17) “The wicked shall be turned into hell (Sheol), and all the nations that forget God.“
   

3. (Proverb 7:27) “Her house is the way to hell (Sheol), going down to the chambers of death.“
   

4. (Isaiah 14:15) “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell (Sheol), to the sides of the pit.“
   

5. (Deuteronomy 32:22, “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (Sheol), and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.”

This is all that the lost have to look forward to when they die.  How grateful we are that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son (Christ) that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Hell in The New Testament

At this point it should be noted that the Old Testament “Sheol” (Hell) and the New Testament “Hades” (Hell) are the same place.  It was located in the center of the earth and had two compartments; one was Paradise for the saved and the other was Torment for the lost.  This will be qualified later in the book.  Read Luke 16:22-26.  Here we find in Hades a great gulf separated Torment for the lost and Paradise for the saved.  Paradise is also known as “Abraham’s Bosom.”

Let me illustrate the importance of recognizing the two compartments of Sheol, as translated Hell in the Old Testament.  In Psalm 139, David is praising God for his attributes of omniscience and omnipresence.  Notice Verses 7 and 8, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in HELL (Heb. “Sheol”) behold, thou art there.”   The word “heaven” here is in the plural (Heb. “shamayim“).  The “im” is the plural and should read “If I ascend up into the heavens.”  That is past the first heaven (our atmosphere), past the second heaven (the planets), and on to the third heaven.  David is attesting to the fact that there is nowhere anyone can go to get away from the presence of God.  Even if we should go past the planets, God is there.

Now if we will go the other direction from the surface of the earth, even to the center of the earth where Sheol (Hell) is located, God is there.  This is the basic point David is making, that no one can escape the presence of God.

Now the statement of David made that we are interested in, is this, “If I make my bed in Hell (Sheol)…”  I have heard some say that David was lost and if he died then, his bed would be in Hell (Torment).  I know I may be “splitting a hair”; but, this is why it is so important to understand that Sheol (Eng. “Hell”) had two compartments, Torment and Paradise.  David here was a saved man, a “man after God’s own heart,” and if he was thinking deeper than the basic facts he would have been thinking of making his bed in the Paradise side of Sheol, not the Torment side of Sheol (Hell).

In the New Testament the word “hell” appears some 23 times and is translated from three Greek words.  The three Greek words are “Hades,” “Geenna,” and “Tartaroo.”  Each one denotes a different or separate place of punishment.  When the translators came to these three words in the Greek (all are referring to a place of torment), they used our one English word “Hell” which is the equivalent.  It is equivalent as far as torment is concerned, but not as far as their location is concerned.  This will be illustrated in Diagram 1.

The three Greek words translated as “Hell” and where they appear in the Bible are as follows:

1. “Hades” translated Hell appears 10 times in the New Testament in the following places: Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27,31; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14.
   

2. The Greek word “Geenna” is translated Hell 12 times in the New Testament in the following places: Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; and James 3:6.  Of these 12 items, it is spoken of 11 times by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels and once by James in Chapter 3, Verse 6.
   

3. The Greek word “Tartaroo” appears only once in the whole New Testament and is translated Hell in 2nd Peter 2:4.  This is a separate place where the most wicked angels are kept and reserved unto judgment.  They will be brought out of Tartaroo and cast into the Lake of Fire where they will remain in torment forever.
   

4. “Hades” is translated once as grave in 1st Corinthians 15:55 and is a mistranslation.

With this basic information, we are now ready for Diagram 1.

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 1

The Location of Sheol and Hades

Both are the same place, Sheol the Hebrew word and Hades the Greek word.  This is substantiated by the same Scripture appearing in the Old testament and the New Testament.  In Psalm 16:10 we are told concerning Christ “For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell (Hebrew – Sheol), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One (Christ) to see corruption.”  The last part of this Verse is stating that Christ would not see corruption is referring to the His resurrection.  This is made clear by Acts 2:3, “He (David) seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in Hell (Hades), neither His flesh did see corruption.”

Now we are going to see how the New International Version (NIV) perverts a great doctrinal truth of God’s Word.  They mistranslate the Hebrew “Sheol” and Greek “Hades” in these three Verses as “GRAVE” instead of “HELL.”  Here is the comparison:

Psalm 16:10

KJT “For thou wilt not leave my soul in HELL (Hebrew “Sheol”) …”

NIV “because you will not abandon me to the GRAVE…”

Acts 2:27 (Peter quoting Psalm 16:10)

KJT “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in HELL (Greek “Hades”) …”

NIV “…because you will not abandon me to the GRAVE…”

Acts 2:31

KJT ” He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul (his person) was not left in HELL (Greek ‘Hades’), neither his flesh (body) did see corruption.”

NIV “Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the GRAVE, nor did his body see decay.”

The NIV in their mistranslation of GRAVE instead of HELL puts Christ’s body and soul in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights.  This erroneously teaches the same damnable doctrine as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists and other cult religions.  This perversion by the NIV contradicts Christ’s own testimony that “Today shalt thou be with me in PARADISE” (Luke 23:43).  Matthew 12:40, previously quoted, states that Christ–upon death—would descend into the heart of the earth.  This was the Person of Christ–not His Body as it was in the tomb.  Ephesians 4:9 agrees:

“Now that he (Christ) ascended, what is it but that he also DESCENDED FIRST INTO THE LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH?”

One does not have to know any Greek or Hebrew to be able to look this up for themselves.  Strong’s Concordance or Vine’s Expository Words in the Greek New Testament will substantiate the foregoing.  If a layman can look this up and verify it, then will you tell me how a “hundred scholars” can accidentally come up with a “misnomer” like this which entices its readers to accept a false doctrine.  Personally, I believe this was done deliberately and deceitfully.

When Christ died on the cross, His soul and Spirit went to Hades, being separated from the body, which went to the tomb.  This Verse, both in Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:27,31, state the soul and Spirit of Christ would not remain in Hades, but would unite with His resurrected body after 3 days.  The phrase “that His body would not see corruption,” i.e., purification and odor sets in on the fourth day.  An example of this can be seen in the death of Lazarus who had been in the grave four days.  In John 11:17 we are told that, “Then when Jesus came, he found that he (Lazarus) had lain in the grave four days already.”  Notice in Verse 39 that “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone.  Martha, the sister of him that lay dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh for he had been dead four days.“  The fact that the body of Christ was not to see “corruption” plainly meant that the body of Christ would be resurrected before the fourth day.  He would not remain in the tomb to the fourth day.

We are not going to exhaust all the Scriptures concerning the location of Sheol and Hades, but only give a couple to substantiate clearly where it is located.

1. Matthew 12:40.  “For as Jonas 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.“  Acts 2:27 says that Christ went to Hades and here we are told He went to the heart of the earth, so Hades is located in the heart (middle or center) of the earth.
   

2. Isaiah 14:9.  Here Isaiah is speaking concerning the fall of Babylon.  “Hell (Sheol) from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming…”  The word “beneath” here is the Hebrew word “tachath.”  It comes from  a Hebrew root word meaning to depress, the bottom, below and underneath.  In other words, Sheol is located depressed, below, underneath and in the bottom of the earth.
   

3. (The two compartments within Sheol and Hades).  Within Hades, we learn from Luke 16, there are two compartments separated by a tremendous gulf. Prior to Christ’s ascension back to heaven in Acts 1:11, both saved and lost went to one of the two compartments in Hades. The gulf separated the two places which are called a place of torment (lost) and “Abraham’s Bosom” or Paradise for, the saved.  We must emphasize that Sheol and Hades are all-inclusive of both places. Only the context of the Scripture will determine whether a person went to Torment or Paradise within Hades.

Now in Luke 16 we find a Christian by the name of Lazarus who was very poor, financially, but when he died he went to the paradise side of Hades.  Here is the record in Verse 22, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom…“  This is also the compartment where Christ went for three days and nights before His Resurrection.  Notice in Luke 23:43 when Christ was speaking to the thief on the cross, who had trusted Him as Saviour.  “And Jesus said unto him (the thief), Verily I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.“  Remember, no saved in the Old Testament ever went to Heaven, but rather to the Paradise side of Sheol and Hades.

Further, in Luke 16 we are told of a lost man who was very rich, but lost, and who went to the torment side of Hades.  Here is the record in Verses 22b-24.  “…the rich man also died and was buried (the grave claimed his body); and in Hell (Sheol claimed his soul and spirit) he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth 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.“

What a sad condition of the reality of what a lost person has to face when they die.  Their joking about the Bible, their mocking of Christ, their evolutionary trash they have propagated, their taking of the Lord’s name in vain and their exalted opinion of themselves that they are their own god will all come to an end.  At death, they will be cast into this awful place of torment.  Truly, they have played the fool as God has said in Psalm 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”  Little realizing, until it is too late that “The wicked shall be turned into Hell (Sheol), and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).

We are now told that within Hades, between Paradise and Torment, that there is a tremendous gulf separating the two places, so that no one can go from one place to the other.  Here is the record in Verse 26, “And beside all this, between us (Abraham and Lazarus) and you (lost men), 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.“

When the lost man realized there was no hope for him, as his eternal destiny was sealed in this place of torment, he then interceded for his five brothers that were still alive.  In Verse 27 and 28 we have the account, “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren: that he may testify unto them, least they also come to this place of torment.“

This man was now a believer but it was too late for himself, so he prays that someone would tell his brothers.  The Hebrew word for “pray” in Verse 27 brings out the strength of this man’s feelings.  The usual Greek word for “pray” when used in worship to God is “proseuchomai.”  But here a different word is used for “pray,” which is “erotao.”  This word means interrogate, desire and entreat.  In police work, interrogate means you keep asking in various, different ways until you get what you want, which is the truth.  You are persistent with a strong desire.  The Greek word for pray lets us know that this man was more than just casually asking Abraham, but had a strong desire, persistently asking in various different ways to persuade Abraham to send someone to warn his five brothers.

His persistence is recorded in Verse 30 after Abraham had just said to him, “…They (his brothers) have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them.“  Here is his reply, “and he said, Nay, Father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent (change their mind).”  No doubt he was still trying, but to no avail for Abraham closed the conversation when he told him, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

This is a true and literal account of the conversation between a lost man in the Torment of Hades and Abraham in the Paradise side of Hades.  A true account of where they were and what they said.

Now let us briefly analyze some important facts from Luke 16:19-31:

1. Hades has two compartments, one is Paradise and the other is Torment.
   
2. They are separated by a large gulf.
   
3. No one can pass from Torment to Paradise.
   
4. The lost and saved went immediately to their respective places.
   
5. They were taken there by the angels of God.
   
6. In Torment this man had a tongue, could feel the flames of Torment, could talk, could think and reason.  He had all the attributes in Hades that he had on earth.
   
7. He possessed a spiritual or soulish body which had sensitivity and reasoning, but could not be annihilated by the flames of torment.  We might point out that this is not his resurrected body unto damnation, which he will have when he is later cast into the Lake of Fire.  This will be illustrated in Diagram 6.
   
8. No one will go back from Paradise to talk with those still alive on earth, as this lost man had requested.
   
9. Moses and the prophets did record the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in the Bible.  Since Christ did come back from the dead, there are those who will not believe it, neither would they if someone also came back today.
   
10. A doctrinal consideration–many claim this is a parable, but one will find that no parable ever uses a proper name.  There are no exceptions.  Hypothetically, if this were a parable, then the reality of Hell would be much worse for parables are given to illustrate Biblical truth.

We can only thank God for telling us of this awful place that we have been delivered from by trusting Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour.  He gave His life to save ours–what a Saviour!

“Tartarus”: “Tartarus,” a verb, is translated Hell only once in the New Testament.  It is found in 2nd Peter 2:4:

“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell (Tartarus), and delivered them unto chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”

Now concerning the same angels, mention is made again in Jude 6:

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Great White Throne Judgment).”

The exact location of Tartarus is not known.  This place is not Sheol or Hades or the eternal Lake of Fire, which is the same place as “Geenna” or Gehenna in the Greek.  These are all separate places.

In Matthew 25:41 we learn that eventually the lost and the wicked angels will be together in their final place of torment, which is the everlasting Lake of Fire.  This place was originally created by God for the Devil and his angels, prior to God’s creating man on the earth.  Since Adam plunged the whole human race under sin and it’s condemnation, those who do not escape by the blood of Christ will share their eternal torment with the ones it was created for.

“Then shall he say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed (lost), into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.”

Even though the exact location is not given, we have located it under the earth so we may refer to it from time to time on our diagram.

“Gehenna”: “Gehenna” is translated Hell correctly.  It is properly translated 12 times, eleven of which are spoken of by Christ, Himself, in Matthew, Mark and Luke.  It is recorded one other time in James.  This is the final abode of the wicked, and the Devil and his angels.  Here are the passages:

1. Matthew 5:22,29,30;10:28;18:19;23:15,33
   
2. Mark 9:43,45,47
   
3. Luke 12:5
   
4. James 3:6

This Hell (Greek-Gehenna), the final continuous torment, is a condition of unspeakable misery.  Other than called Hell, many other references are made to this same place.  Here are a few:

1. Mark 9:46, “Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.“
   
2. Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.“
   
3. Matthew 8:12, “But the children of the Kingdom, shall be cast out into outer darkness: where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.“  These “children of the Kingdom” are Jews, not the church.  They are called children, yet not saved.  These in the Old Testament, up to Calvary, who have rejected the Messiah, will be cast in outer darkness at the end of the Tribulation.
   
4. Matthew 13:42, “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.“
   
5. Luke 3:17, “Whose fan is in his (Christ’s) hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat (the saved) into his garner; but the chaff (the lost) he will burn with fire unquenchable.” This takes place at the end of the Tribulation when Christ judges the nations.
   
6. Jude 13b, “…to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”
   
7. Revelation 14:9-11, “…If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark (”666″) 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 ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night…”
   
8. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
   
9. 2nd Thessalonians 1:9, “Punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

Bottomless Pit: The Bottomless Pit does not appear in the Old Testament.  This is found seven times in the New Testament and, in all cases, translates from the Greek word “abussos” or abyss.  It is properly translated and the Greek word means, “depthless, deep or bottomless.”  It is a separate place of its own.  The exact location is not given, but many scholars believe it is an extended compartment of the Torment side of Hades.  Whether this is true or not, no one really knows.  Vine’s Expository Words of The Greek New Testament states “It describes an immeasurable depth, the underworld, the lower regions, the Abyss of Sheol.”  We have shown it as connected to “Torment of Sheol” in our diagrams for further references.Here is where it is found in the new Testament, all being in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3

In Revelation 20:7 this bottomless pit is also called a prison.  This pit is locked and controlled by God, Who send His angels to unlock it at His discretion.  It contains smoke, as of a great furnace, ungodly creatures called locusts, the Beast (Anti-Christ) and Satan, himself, when he is confined there a thousand years.

1. The key to the pit. (Revelation 9:1 and 20:1)“And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him (angel) was given the key of the bottomless pit.”  “And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand.”

2. Locusts and smoke. (Revelation 9:2,3)These creatures are released to torment people on the earth for five months during the Tribulation Period.  Here is the word: “And he (angel) opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”These locusts are not to kill (Verse 5), only torment those who have not the seal of God in their foreheads (Verse 4).  “…in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it: and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them” (Verse 6).We have no idea what is in the underworld or what the future holds, but God was gracious enough to reveal to us about this place and these creatures.  This takes place during the 7-Year Tribulation Period at the blowing of the Fifth Trumpet of Judgment.

3. The Anti-Christ or the Beast. (Revelation 11:7).In Revelation 11, God’s two witnesses preach for 3-1/2 years (Verse 3) and finish their testimony (Verse 7).  They are allowed by God to be killed in Jerusalem (Verse 18) and their bodies put on public display for 3-1/2 days (Verse 19).  They are resurrected and then ascend directly to Heaven (Verses 11,12).  The one who kills these two witnesses of God is none other than the Anti-Christ, himself.  He is called the Beast in Verse 7 as this describes his character, and he comes out of the bottomless pit.  Here is the record, “And when they (two witnesses) shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.”

4. Satan in the Bottomless Pit. (Revelation 20:2,3,7)When Christ comes back at the end of the Tribulation Period, He judges the nations in Matthew 24 and 25 in preparation for setting up the earthly Messianic Kingdom for 1,000 years.  At this time, He confines Satan, himself, in chains to the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years.  After the 1,000 years, he is loosed for a short season and then cast into the Lake of Fire.  Here is the record, “And he (the angel) laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed a little season.  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.“A man told me once that he thought Satan was chained today.  If that is true, it must be an awful long chain!  Another person was kidding me and said he thought Satan was chained to him!  No, he will not be chained (confined) until the end of the 7-Year Tribulation.

We have identified Sheol and Hades, Tartarus, the Lake of Fire (Geenna), the Bottomless Pit, Torment and Paradise.  Now, check Diagram 1 as a refresher of these various places.  Once the believer has a mental picture of these various places, it becomes much easier to discern the various Scriptures that relate to the subject of Hell.

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Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573
Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Telephone (507) 859-2519

Web: www.heritagebbc.com

A Biblical Examination of Hell – Diagram 2 & 3

A Biblical Examination of Hell

By Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573| Walnut Grove, MN 56180 | Telephone (507) 859-2519

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We are now ready for Diagram 2.

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 2

Where Was Christ 3 Days & 3 Nights Prior To His Resurrection?

In discussing this subject with many people, I have been amazed at the various ideas they have put forth concerning Christ’s whereabouts during these three days and nights. Some thought He just plain went to Hell and was burning in Hell for us.  Others said they believed His Spirit would remain in Hell for all eternity as payment for our sin.  Some thought He was unconscious in the tomb during that time, while others believe exactly what the Bible teaches.

We want to recapitulate briefly over Matthew 12:40 concerning the length of time Christ was in Paradise:

“For as Jonas 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 (Hades).”

Now in Acts 2:27 we have seen that Christ went to Hades:

“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell (Hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Even though it is clearly stated that He went to Hades, we still are not told whether He went to Paradise or Torment.  The answer is given, though, when we examine what Christ told the thief on the cross.  This man believed that Christ was the Messiah and Saviour.  Here are the words in Luke 23:42, “And he (the thief) said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Here is the Lord’s reply, which separates all skepticism from truth.

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in PARADISE” (Verse 43).

The Bible clearly states that Christ went to the Paradise side of Hades, separated from His body which was in the tomb.

Some have tried to say that Christ preached during this time to those in Torment, giving them a second chance. The Verse they use to support this is found in 1st Peter 3:19:

“By which also he (Christ) went and preached unto the spirits in prison.”

It is unbelievable to what extremes some will go, mutilating the Word of God, extracting one Verse and trying to make it fit their own ideologies.  If this were true, then it would contradict Luke 23:43, for the lost are in Torment, not Paradise.  Now let us look at 1st Peter 3:19 and 20 together to understand the context.

“By which also he (Christ) went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

In also referring to Genesis 6:3, we find that God waited 120 years before sending the flood. The purpose of the flood judgment was that “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually.”  In other words, Christ, through the Holy Spirit in Noah, preached to those imprisoned in their sin and warned them of the judgment (flood) which was to come in 120 years.

The Scriptures in 1st peter 3 are referring to the flood and have no reference to where Christ went when He died.  There are no second chances after death.  A person’s destiny is determined while he is living and he cannot reverse it after he dies.  In Matthew 25:46 we are told “and these (the lost) shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”  If one could ever be saved after they die, then everlasting would cease to be everlasting.  One might also consider the rich man in Torment in Luke 16.  This man believed after he was there, as he wanted someone to go back and warn his five brothers.  Even though he believed, he still could not get out of Torment.

We are now ready for Diagram 3.

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 3

Christ Anointing The Mercy Seat

Please take a moment and view Diagram 3.  The first few days immediately following the resurrection, Christ did something which is rarely mentioned, which makes it possible for the Christian to now go to Heaven.  Let me restate, the Old Testament saved never went to Heaven, but to Paradise in Sheol.  In the Old Testament, sins were never taken away, but only covered.  This is the meaning of the Old testament word “atonement,” as a covering.  Atonement is not a New Testament word, since our sins are no longer covered by a blood sacrifice, but taken away by the blood of Christ.  The word does appear once in the New Testament, but is a mistranslation.  It is found in Romans 5:11,

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the ATONEMENT.”

Atonement in this Verse is translated from the Greek word “katallage” which means “exchange or reconciliation.”  It is properly translated “reconciliation” in 2nd Corinthians 5:18,19.  Christ did not cover our sins with His shed blood, but took them completely away.  In other words, at salvation we are reconciled to God as our sins are exchanged for the righteousness of Christ.  In 2nd Corinthians 5:21 we are told:

“For he hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (read Hebrews 9:26)

When the animal blood in the Old Testament was applied to the Holy Place within the temple or tabernacle, it covered the sins of the people.  But for the saved to go to Heaven, the Holy Place there must have the blood of Christ applied.  This is made clear from Hebrews 9:22,23:

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these (animal sacrifices).”

The earthly tabernacle was patterned after the heavenly tabernacle.  The earthly was only a shadow of the heavenly (Hebrews 8:4,5).  The lamb sacrifices in the Old Testament was only a shadow or type of the Perfect Lamb (Christ) which would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  Therefore, the Old Testament lamb sacrifice made by faith would cover sin, but would never take the person to Heaven.  You see, Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, had to apply His own blood to the Holy Place in Heaven before anyone could enter.  This is why all the saved, prior to Christ’s ascension, went to Paradise in Sheol.  Here is the record in Hebrews 9:11-12:

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle (the one in Heaven), not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.”  “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his (Christ’s) OWN BLOOD he entered in once into the HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

With this background it becomes easy to comprehend the conversation between Christ and Mary after the resurrection as recorded in John, Chapter 20.

In John 20, we find Mary at the tomb crying, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”  In Verse 13, “When she turned around,” the Lord immediately spoke to her and instructed her not to touch Him.  The reason is given in Verse 17:

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

The Lord Jesus would not allow Himself to be touched by human hands until He ascended to Heaven and purified the Holy Place within the temple with His own precious blood.

Notice that after eight days He appears to His disciples, but this time “Doubting” Thomas is with them.  Previously the disciples had told Thomas about Christ being resurrected, but he would not believe it unless he saw Him.  Now the Lord Jesus tells him in Verse 27 to “…Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless (weak in the faith), but believing.”  Somewhere within that eight days, He ascended to Heaven, anointed the Mercy Seat with His own precious blood and returned to earth.

In studying all the Gospels concerning the event immediately following the resurrection, one would find a lot of people coming to, and leaving the tomb.  Between Christ’s appearances to Mary and Thomas, He had appeared to others, including the eleven disciples (John 20:19,21,24).  It appears that Christ’s ascension to anoint the Holy Place probably took place immediately after talking to Mary and asking her to “…Go tell my brethren…“  concerning His resurrection.

We are told in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…“  As our physical life is found in the blood, so our spiritual life is found in the blood of another, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1st peter 1:18,19)

We were born a sinner, under the condemnation of God’s wrath.  One does not become a sinner because they sin; but, rather, sin because they are born a sinner.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified (declared righteous) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8,9)

He gave His life to save ours.  If you have not received Christ as your Saviour, I hope you will do it right now, before it is too late.

One more portion of Scripture we would like to point out, which is found in John 14:1-3:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Many times I have heard preachers say that, “If God could create this beautiful earth in six days, how beautiful must Heaven be since Christ has been preparing it for us for almost 2,000 years!” I know what I am about to say is going to spoil many a good sermon, but this is not what our Lord is referring to here.  Remember, Heaven is already created.  In Verse 2, “are many mansions” is in the past tense, showing they already existed when Christ spoke. Here Christ is referring to the cross, then His anointing the Mercy Seat in the Holy Place with His own blood.  Thus making it possible for us now to go to Heaven. Remember, prior to this, all the saved went to Paradise in Hades. This portion of Scripture has a double reference, His death on the cross and His blood in the Holy Place. Now when a Christian dies, as Paul stated in 2nd Corinthians 5:1,

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Therefore, the Christian can boldly say,

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Since the Lord has prepared a place for us, by His death on the cross and anointing the Holy Place with His blood, His promise will be fulfilled, “…that where I am, there ye may be also,” and “…so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1st Thessalonians 4:17b,18).

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Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573
Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Telephone (507) 859-2519

Web: www.heritagebbc.com

A Biblical Examination of Hell – Diagram 4

A Biblical Examination of Hell

By Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573| Walnut Grove, MN 56180 | Telephone (507) 859-2519

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We are now ready for Diagram 4.

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 4

The Ascension of Christ and Paradise to Heaven.

It is important to take a moment and observe this diagram before proceeding.

The fifty days seen on the diagram and fifty days from Christ’s resurrection to the Day of Pentecost.  Pentecost was the day the Holy Spirit was promised by Christ to come and indwell the believer. Pentecost is the Greek word “pentekostos” and means “fiftieth.”

The forty days is the length of time from the resurrection to His ascension from the mount called Olivet.  Notice Acts 1:3,

“To whom also he shewed himself (Christ) alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

It was during this forty days that He made many appearances, which were the infallible proof, attesting to the indisputable fact of His resurrection.  The Apostle Paul amplified on this when writing to the Corinthians. Here is the record:

“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present (about 57 A.D.), but some are fallen asleep.  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  And last of all he was seen of me (Paul).” (1st Corinthians 15:4-8)

At the end of forty days, He assembled with the Apostles whom He had chosen (Acts 1:2) at the mount called Olivet, which was less than a mile from Jerusalem.  Here, before His ascension, He instructed them “…not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait (10 days) for the promise (i.e. the Holy Spirit) of the Father…“  Again, Pentecost means “fifty.”  Christ had appeared for forty days before ascending to Heaven, leaving ten days before Pentecost would come.

Now, after instructing the Apostles, He ascended to Heaven.

“And when he (Christ) had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men (angels) stood by them in white apparel” (Acts 1:9,10).

We believe this is when Christ emptied the Paradise side of Hades, transferring all the saved in Paradise to Heaven.  Now for the record found in Ephesians 4:8-9:

“Wherefore he (Christ) saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth (Paradise, Luke 23:43).

Those in Hades are referred to as being in captivity because they were limited to the Paradise side of Hades. Remember, they were not permitted access to Heaven until Christ anointed the Holy Place.  They remained there until Christ’s ascension.  He would then lead them, Himself, into the glories of Heaven unlimited. This could very well be the cloud of Saints, emptying Paradise on their way to Heaven. Further evidence of this is found in 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 12, where Paradise is referred to as up, and no longer in Hades. Notice Verse 3 and 4:

“And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth).  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words…”

Approximately 25 years after the resurrection of Christ, Paradise is now referred to as up.  After the Rapture, the Tribulation Saints who die for Christ are seen by John in Heaven. Not only did John see them in Heaven, he also heard them talk. Here is the account found in Revelation 6:9,10:

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”

Here John not only sees them in Heaven, but also heard them talking. Here the omniscience of God is seen as He shows forth History before it ever takes place. Our books record History after it happens, but God writes it before it happens. This is the difference between the mind of God and the mind of man, one is infinite and the other is finite.

Revelation 6:9,10, along with Luke 16:19 through 31, and many other Scriptures annihilate the damnable doctrine of soul-sleeping which is adhered to by the cult religions.

Before we leave Diagram 4, would you please take notice of the Letter A and where it is located. It appears just after the resurrection of Christ. There is an interesting portion of Scripture found only in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter 27, Verses 52 and 53:

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints (saved) which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city (Jerusalem), and appeared unto many.”

These are the only Scriptures I know referring to this incident.  Allow me to digress for a minute to the Old Testament which may give us a better understanding concerning these two Verses.  In the Old Testament, the Passover Feast which occurred in the first month (religious, not civil) on the 14th day was fulfilled by Christ’s death on the cross as our Passover Lamb (Leviticus 23:5).  The Feast of First Fruits took place on the first month on the 17th day.  This, prophetically looking, was fulfilled when Christ arose from the dead.  In 1st Corinthians 15:20 we are told, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.“

Now, going back to the Feast of First Fruits in Leviticus, Chapter 23, in Verses 10 and 11 we read, “…and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a SHEAF of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the SHEAF before the LORD, to be accepted for you…“

The word “sheaf” is from the Hebrew word “omer” which means “a measure of corn, barley and etc.”  In other words, at the Feast of First Fruits (the first harvest), they would take a small portion of the harvest, give it to the priest, who in turn would offer it to the Lord on their behalf for His acceptance.  As Christ’s resurrection fulfilled the Old testament Feast if First Fruits, so did those who were resurrected in Matthew 27:52,53 fulfill the sheaf offering, given to the priest who offered it to the Lord. Christ, our High Priest and the first fruit  by this resurrection, offered these resurrected Saints as a sheaf offering to the Father upon His return to Heaven. These, along with those in Paradise, were taken into Heaven where they await the consummation of the Church Age (at the Rapture), when they will return with Christ. They will also return at the end of the 7-year Tribulation Period to reign with Him 1,000 years in the Kingdom.

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Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573
Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Telephone (507) 859-2519

Web: www.heritagebbc.com

A Biblical Examination of Hell – Diagram 5

A Biblical Examination of Hell

By Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573| Walnut Grove, MN 56180 | Telephone (507) 859-2519

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Let us now move to Diagram 5.

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 5

The Lake of Fire

This diagram brings us down to the final end of this earth after man’s existence of approximately 7,000 years. Remember, the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is the final eternal torment of all the lost. This also includes Satan, his angels, the Beast, the False Prophet, and the most wicked angels chained in Tartarus. I have marked the diagram with A, B, C, D and E.  We shall examine each of these in order.

(Locate A). This is at the end of the 7-year Tribulation Period when Christ comes back with all the Saints (Old Testament and Church Age) to set the Kingdom up for 1,000 years. Just prior to the Kingdom being established, Christ judges the nations. In 2nd Timothy 4:1 we read:

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (Greek “zao,” i.e. “the living”) and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.”

At this judgment, the lost will be cast directly into the Lake of Fire.  They do not go to torment in Hades, nor do they pass through the Great White Throne of Judgment.  The account is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.  In Chapter 25, verses 31-34 we read:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he (Christ) sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep (saved) from the goats (lost): And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

The saved who are alive at the end of the Tribulation go right on into the Kingdom.  These are the sheep on His right hand.  The goats (lost), these are the ones who were deceived by the Anti-Christ, receiving his mark which is 666. Their plight is recorded in 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.”

Their entire judgment is here, so there is no need to pass through the Great White Throne Judgment.  Picture yourself, if you were lost, listening to the King of kings and Lord of lords thunder these devastating words, knowing the next second you would plunge into the everlasting Lake of Fire.  How grateful we are for a Saviour Who loved us while we were a sinner.

This same judgment is also described in Matthew 24:39,40,41,

“…so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken (lost), and the other left (saved).”

These Verses many times are used in reference to the Rapture; but, in essence, has nothing to do with the Rapture at all. In fact, what takes place at the Rapture is exactly the opposite of what takes place here. A basic principle to remember is that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John always, without exception, refer to the Revelation of Christ to the earth, and never the Rapture. They knew nothing of the Rapture as this was a mystery, later revealed to the Apostle Paul.  Notice in Verses 40 and 41, the ones left are the saved who are left to reign with Christ in the Kingdom. The ones taken are the lost, taken to judgment. These are the same ones which Christ cast into the everlasting fire in Matthew 25:41. As we have said, this is just the opposite of what happens at the Rapture. Notice in 1st Thessalonians 4:17, which is speaking of the Rapture:

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

You see, at the Rapture, those taken go to Heaven, but in Matthew those taken go to everlasting fire.  At the Rapture, those left go through the Tribulation judgment, whereas those left in Matthew go on into the Millennial Kingdom here on earth.

Other references to this judgment:

Joel 3:1-3;12-16; Zechariah 14:1-12; Revelation 19:11-21; 2nd Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 1:7; and 2nd Timothy 4:1.

A more terrifying account of those cast into the Lake of Fire is recorded in Zechariah 14:12.  The whole Chapter is in reference to Christ’s return and setting up the Kingdom.  Now Verse 12…

“And this shall be the plague (plague is the Hebrew “maggephah,” and by analogy means: defeat, slaughter, or stroke.  In other words, those I am about to describe will be defeated, with a stroke in a great slaughter); wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their (lost) flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.”

Personally, from reading many accounts of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I can easily picture what literally occurred here. A very graphic description of the lost as they enter the Lake of Fire. This is a far cry from the jokes, laughter and sneers made about Hell today.

(Locate B and C). No saved are involved here, only the lost in torment of Hades. The line B runs from Torment to the Great White Throne of Judgment Seat and from there to the Lake of Fire.  This judgment takes place at the end of the 1,000 Year Reign of Christ.  The heavens and this old earth are about to flee away and a new heaven and earth established (Revelation 21:1).  Now the record in Revelation 20:11…

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”

The Great White Throne is only for the lost, no saved ever appear here for judgment.

Here is where the lost receive their resurrected bodies before entering into the Lake of Fire.  In Revelation 20:13 we read:

“And the sea gave up the dead (bodies) which were in it; and death (bodies in the grave) and hell (Hades – soul and spirit in Torment side) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.”

Those in Torment in Hades (their soul and spirit) unite with their resurrected body out of the grave and stand at the Great White Throne Judgment.  This is what John was speaking about in John 5:29:

“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

The reason for this being, that no physical body could ever withstand the literal fire of Hell without the body being consumed.  God has provided a resurrected body for the lost that will suffer all the torment and flames of Hell, but will never be consumed.  What a contrast!  Our resurrected bodies will never see pain, sorrow or death again (Revelation 21:4), while the resurrected bodies of the lost will never cease from enduring the pains of Hell fire.

Years ago, when I was on the police department, I was called to investigate a tragic situation.  A young boy, about 13, had taken a gas can and was stealing gas from a railroad truck.  Some of the gas had saturated his clothing.  They were a poor family, and some of you may remember the old coal pot-bellied stoves with the isinglass window in the front of it.  These usually sat in the living room.  This is what this family had.  When the boy came home from the railroad yard he went right over to the stove and opened the door, then becoming a human torch!  I recall them telling me at the hospital emergency room that there was nothing they could do to save him, and he would die very shortly.  As I was standing beside his bed he suddenly let out a terrifying scream and then lapse back into unconsciousness.  He did this several times before dying.  In Hell there will never be a time of unconsciousness.  The excruciating torment will be experiences every second of every minute of every hour, for all time and eternity!

Now, back to Verses 13 and 14…

When the lost are judged according to their works, it is not to determine if they go to Hell, but rather the degree of punishment in Hell for eternity.  This judgment of works is to the lost what the Judgment Seat of Christ is to the Christian.  The position of Heaven or Hell is determined by a person’s acceptance or rejection of Christ as Saviour (Ephesians 2:8,9).  Their rewards in Heaven or degree of punishment in Hell are determined by their works.  Concerning the Christian being rewarded in heaven for his works, we are told in 2nd Corinthians 5:10:

“For we must all (the Christian) appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Paul is speaking in 1st Corinthians 3:14,15 in reference to the Christian’s being rewarded or suffering loss of rewards for his work.

“If any man’s (Christian’s) work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s (Christian’s) work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

Now let us go back to Revelation 20:12 where we learn more about the lost being judged at the Great White Throne…

“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 (plural), according to their works.”

THE BOOKS

We are told there is the Book of Life and the books which will judge the lost.  The books have recorded the deeds of every person from the time they were born until they die.  Every thought, every opportunity they had to be saved, every curse word, every illegal act and etc. is recorded in the books.  I have been asked why God waited clear until the end of the earth before having the judgment.  I believe a satisfactory answer can be given.  As a person passes through life, they have a tremendous influence upon others.  Take an atheistic school teacher who has the influence over thousands of students during their teaching career.  Many of those children will grow up rejecting Christ because of their teachings.  Now, say those people teach their children what they had been taught and so on down the line.  No one really knows how far the teachings of that school teacher will travel.  That is the reason a lost person is not judged for his works when he dies.  But at the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of this world, each person will receive their reward according to the influence of their life through all the generations and ages to come, then are cast into the Lake of Fire.

THE BOOK OF LIFE

The Book of Life has recorded in it the name of every person ever born.  In other words, everyone has an equal opportunity.  When a person receives Christ as Saviour, their name will remain in the Book of Life forever.  When the lost die without Christ, their name is blotted out of the Book of Life.  Therefore, the Book of Life is an indictment and conviction upon the lost that their sentence to the Lake of Fire is fair and justified.  In Revelation 20:15 we are told:

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

For those who may endorse predestination, i.e. that God predestinated these to be lost and others to be saved, may I draw your attention to Psalm 69:22-28.  If you will take a moment to read Verses 25-27, you will find, unequivocally, this is speaking of the lost.  Now concerning their fate, let me quote Verse 28,

“Let them (the lost) be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.”

In order to be blotted out of the book, they must be written in the Book.  You see, “The Lord was not willing that any should perish…” (2nd Peter 3:9), so all names are recorded in the Book of the Living.  When one dies without Christ, their name is then blotted out and this book stands as an everlasting record at the Great White Throne Judgment of their rejection of Christ.

WHAT ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN?

The Christian has been promised that his name will never be blotted out of the Book of Life. Notice in Revelation 3:5 where we are told…

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

Now in 1st John 5:5 we are told how we overcome:

“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

What a security we have in Christ, a promise that our name will never be blotted out of the Book of Life. Now back to the lost.

Can you imagine the horrified look on the faces of the lost as they stand condemned, face to face with God. They had laughed at Him, made jokes about His Word, the Bible, used His name in vain, ridiculed Christians, but it all ended and they are now face to face with their Creator. No doubt they will bow and confess to God before they plunge into Hell.  Here is the record in Romans 14:11, which is a quote from Isaiah 45:23:

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

The Christian bows and confesses Christ willingly, but here the lost are made to do so. Christ wanted to be their Saviour, but they rejected Him.  Now He stands at the Great White Throne to be their judge.

Some time ago Dr. Al Lacy told of a true story which I believe illustrates the situation at the great White Throne Judgment:

“The Bible is your friend or your judge.  There was a man who had committed several crimes and each time the same attorney pulled some strings, and by a clever defense got the man off.  He left town and was gone several years and then came back to his home town.  He was in a bar and got into an argument.  He left to get a gun and returned and shot the man while he was sitting on the bar stool. He couldn’t find his previous attorney’s name in the Yellow Pages and figured he had moved or died. He secured another attorney and was found guilty. When the judge had come out to try the case, it was the attorney who had represented him before. When he approached the bench for sentencing, the judge made this statement, ‘I once was your friend and your attorney who got you off, but now I am not your friend, but your judge.’ The judge sentenced him to die in the electric chair, and he did.”

You see, Christ is your friend Who died on the cross to pardon your sins, but if you reject Him–He will be your judge at the Great White Throne Judgment.

(Locate A and D). Satan.  It is imperative to understand some of Satan’s last activities before his final doom. Take a moment and review Diagram 5.  Reference the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the 1,000 Year Kingdom of Christ.

After the Rapture of the Church immediately begins a 7-Year Tribulation Period with the last 3-1/2 years known as the Great Tribulation.  During this whole period of time, God is sending His judgments upon the earth.  The minute details are all recorded in the Book of Revelation, from Chapter 6 to 19.  After the Rapture, Satan, who has personally indwelt a human being, is known as the Antichrist.  He seeks to counterfeit God and in the middle of the Tribulation Period (3-1/2 years after the Rapture), enters the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and declares himself to be God.  The record is found in 2nd Thessalonians 2:4:

“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

The Antichrist now is worshiped as God and seeks to control this world for the last 3-1/2 years before Christ returns to the earth. He is the one-world ruler and demands all to receive his mark of 666 on their foreheads or right hand. If one refuses, they can neither buy or sell and without doubt will be exterminated. The record in Revelation 13:16,17,18 tells us:

“And he (Anti-Christ) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name … for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore (a score is 20) and six (666).”

During this time, the Christians will witness for Christ and refuse to join forces with the Antichrist by rejecting his mark of 666. Those the Antichrist can apprehend, he will put to death by decapitation. Here is the record in Revelation 20:4,

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were BEHEADED for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Speaking of this time Christ said, “and except these days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (Israel), those days shall be shortened.“

Christ then returns to this earth to set up the Kingdom for 1,000 years.  Revelation 20:1,2 substantiates this…

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”

Now, after the 1,000 years, Satan is let out of the pit and given his last chance to deceive whoever he can. The account is rendered in Revelation 20:7,8:

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

May I inject a question many times asked, and that is, “Where do these people come from?,” as I thought those with Christ were all in their resurrected bodies. The answer is, No!  It is true though, that at Christ’s return to earth all the Old Testament Saints did receive their resurrected bodies, and will reign in the Kingdom with these bodies.  But, you will recall when Christ judged the nations, the ones taken were cast into the Lake of Fire, BUT the ones left were left to reign in the Kingdom, in their physical bodies. These were all Christians and will bear children just as we do today. This will go on for a thousand years. The same occurs in the Millennium as it does today, not all the children of Christian parents become Christians.  So, at the end of the Kingdom Age there will be many who have rejected Christ, just as we have today.  In fact, the amount is staggering as illustrated by Verse 8:

“…the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea.”

The end of those deceived by Satan in this short period of time is recorded in Verse 9.  If you will recall in Verse 8, Satan gathers them together to go to battle.  With his army of the lost, he makes his attack towards Jerusalem and then the end comes…

“And they (Satan’s army) went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city (Jerusalem): and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

We have now reached the final end of Satan.  In Revelation 20:10 we are told:

“And the devil (Satan) 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.”

(Locate E). See, 2nd Peter 2:4 and Jude 6,7.  As you recall, this is the location (Tartarus) where the most wicked angels are chained awaiting their final judgment, then the Lake of Fire.  We do not have a multiplicity of details concerning this as we do other things.  We shall attempt to correlate what we are told.

We do know for certain that these angels will be taken out of Tartarus and placed in their final torment, the Lake of Fire.  You will recall that Hell (Greek-”Gehenna”) is the Lake of Fire.  Matthew 25:41 lets us know that the Lake of Fire was originally prepared for Satan and his angels.

“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.”

We learn from 1st Corinthians 6:3 that the Christians from this Church Age are going to judge them.

“Know ye not that we (Christians) shall judge angels?  How much more things that pertain to this life?”

We are not told where this judgment takes place, but many scholars believe it will be at the Great White Throne Judgment. I, personally, believe this, because this is the final judgment before the creation of the new heavens and earth.  It would seem logical that God would have everything disposed of concerning judgment before establishing the news heavens and earth.

The question naturally arises, “How would we be able to judge the angels exactly as God would?” If the Christian made this judgment now, in his human body, I doubt very much if we could.  We would have to contend with the influences of our old nature, judging them as we do judging things concerning our own lives. As a Christian, one would dare not say he always, without exception, does what he should or makes the right decisions.  But at the Great White Throne Judgment, the Christian will not be influenced by the old nature, because we will not have it.  We will be in our resurrected bodies and will have the mind of Christ by the Holy Spirit with no influence to the contrary. We will look at the angels in judgment exactly as Christ would, therefore our judgment would be the same as Christ’s.

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Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573
Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Telephone (507) 859-2519

Web: www.heritagebbc.com

A Biblical Examination of Hell – Diagram 6 and 7

A Biblical Examination of Hell

By Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573| Walnut Grove, MN 56180 | Telephone (507) 859-2519

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Let us now move to Diagram 6…

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 6

1. (Locate A). A Summarization.

At this point we want to recapitulate over all that are going to enter the Lake of Fire. There is one thing we have not covered so far and it concerns the Christian’s works that are to be burned.  The Christian will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ after the Rapture, where he will receive his rewards.  A Christian’s life consists of good works which are described in 1st Corinthians 3:12 as “gold, silver, and precious stones.” The bad works of a Christian are described in the same Verse as “wood, hay and stubble.”  Concerning the bad works, Verse 15 states that…

“If any man’s (Christian’s) works shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved.”

The Scripture is clear and simple that a Christian can have works that are displeasing to the Lord, but he is still saved. He will not be rewarded for them as they will be burned.  SO the sin (bad works) in a Christian’s life is not loss of salvation, but loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We believe these works could very well be burned or destroyed in the Lake of Fire. To go along with this, a very interesting portion of Scripture is found in Matthew 5:28-30:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  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. 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.”

The word “Hell” in Verses 29 and 31 is the Greek “Gehenna,” the eternal Lake of Fire, not Hades. We know that the earthly body is never cast into Hell.  If that would be the case, there would be no need for a resurrected body. The members of the body are used to represent the works done with the body. In other words, “…if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee…”, does this refer literally to cutting off your hand?  The answer is, No!  But the Lord is telling us to sever our hand or eyes from the direction that is causing us to sin.  The sin would then be burned in Hell causing the Christian to suffer loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1st Corinthians 3:15).

Remember, we serve the Lord with all the members of our body. If we are dedicated to the Lord, then all members of our body are partakers in serving Him. If one has a bad temper, he should “cut off,” that is, “keep his mouth shut” until he controls his temper. If one is looking with lust at the opposite sex, then they are to pluck their eye or, rather, move it to another direction.

In 2nd John 1:8 we are told:

“Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a FULL REWARD.”

Let us use ALL of our body to serve the Lord for a full reward. Let us be careful not to yield any part that is going to produce works that will burn, causing the Christian to suffer loss of rewards. Remember, it is not this physical body that will be cast into Hell, but the works it produces.

1. (Locate B). The Judgment of the nations by Christ.  The lost cast into the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:41).
   

2. (Locate C). The Beast and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire at the end of the Tribulation at the coming of Christ (Revelation 19:11-21).
   

3. (Locate D). All the lost from out of torment in Hades to the Great White Throne Judgment, then to Hell (Revelation 20:11-15).
   

4. (Locate E). The wicked angels out of Tartarus, to the Great White Throne Judgment, then to Hell (Matthew 25:41).
   

5. (Locate F). At the end of the Millennium, Satan and the lost he deceived are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10).

Diagram 6 is only for a brief review or a refresher of what we have covered so far.

Now for Diagram 7…

COMMENTARY ON DIAGRAM 7

The Two Resurrections

We are not going into an exhaustive analysis of the resurrection, but a brief summary which may help as a supplement. In Daniel 12:2 we have the first mention of two resurrections, “some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt.”

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Now, as we turn to the New Testament, in John 5:28,29 we again have two resurrections mentioned.

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

The First Resurrection consists of ALL SAVED and is composed of 5 separate resurrections. The second resurrection, which is the resurrection of damnation, consists of ALL LOST resurrected to the Great White Throne Judgment.

FIRST RESURRECTION –ALL SAVED

1. (Locate #1 on Diagram 7).  The resurrection of Christ Who is the first fruits of them that arose (1st Corinthians 15:20,23).
   

2. (Locate #2 on Diagram 7).  A group of Saints resurrected after Christ’s resurrection.  They appeared in Jerusalem and were offered by the Lord as a sheaf offering to God (Matthew 27:52,53; Leviticus 23;10,11).  They are in Heaven and will return with Christ to set up the Kingdom.
   

3. (Locate #3 on Diagram 7).  This is the resurrection at the Rapture.  Those resurrected are the Christians who have died between Pentecost and the Rapture (1st Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1st Corinthians 15:51-54).  They meet Him in the air on the way to Heaven, then return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation.
   

4. (Locate #4 on Diagram 7).  This is the resurrection of the two witnesses in the middle of the Tribulation Period.  Their testimony during the first 3-1/2 years is now finished.  They are allowed to be killed and their bodies put on display in Jerusalem for 3-1/2 days.  After that, they are resurrected and ascend up to Heaven (Revelation 11:1-12).  These would represent the gleanings of the harvest of resurrected bodies of the saved.  They will return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation.
   

5. (Locate #5 on Diagram 7).  This is the resurrection of all the Christians martyred during the 7-year Tribulation Period.  They are resurrected to reign with Christ in the Kingdom (Revelation 20:4,6).

Try to memorize the five parts of the First Resurrection, it will help you as you study the Scriptures. Remember, the First Resurrection consists of only the SAVED, none of the lost are included.

SECOND RESURRECTION –ALL LOST

There are no saved here, all lost. In Revelation 20:5 we are told,

“But the rest of the dead (the lost) lived not again until the 1,000 years were finished…” (Revelation 20:11-15).

Torment of Hades is now emptied at the end of Christ’s reign. They appear before the Great White Throne Judgment, then to Hell (”Gehenna”).

Diagram 7 was only inserted to give the reader an overall view of the resurrections of the saved and lost as they relate to their respective places.  It must be noted that there is no one general resurrection of the saved and lost at the same time. The five separate resurrections which complete the First Resurrection fulfill what Paul was referring to in 1st Corinthians 15:20 and 23:

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept … But every man in his own order…”

Note: One Exception: Notice on Diagram 7 at the end of the Millennium.  At this point, the heavens and earth are destroyed and in 2nd Peter 3:10 we are told that: “In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”  “Nevertheless we, according to his promise (Isaiah 65:17), look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2nd Peter 3:13) You will recall that the Millennial Kingdom is started with all saved people in their human bodies (Matthew 25:34), who will bear children during the Millennium.  We have no record of these or any other Christians dying during the Millennium.  Longevity will, no doubt, be extended as it existed prior to the flood and a short time after.  The Christian during the Millennium will still posses the old, Adamic nature just as we have today.  So to dwell in the New Heaven and New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, their sinful bodies must be exchanged for the new resurrected bodies. All Christians at the end of the Millennium will have a resurrection, exchanging their terrestrial bodies for a celestial body (1st Corinthians 15:40).  In 1st Corinthians 15:53 we are told “For this corruptible (dead) must put on incorruption (bodies that can never decay), and this mortal (those alive) must put on IMMORTALITY (bodies that will never taste death).  We are told why in 1st Corinthians 15:50, “Now this I say, brethren, that FLESH and BLOOD cannot inherit the kingdom of God…” (Read Philippians 3:20,21).

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Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573
Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Telephone (507) 859-2519

Web: www.heritagebbc.com

A Biblical Examination of Hell – Final Analysis

A Biblical Examination of Hell

By Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573| Walnut Grove, MN 56180 | Telephone (507) 859-2519

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FINAL ANALYSIS

GOD’S PUNISHMENT

Satan would like nothing better than to convince you that Hell does not exist. That it is just imaginary and a scare tactic used by churches and religious people to frighten you to go to church. With all the imaginations and jokes put aside, we find from God’s Word that Hell is a real, literal place. Call it a scare tactic if you want, but nevertheless, it still exists. Since we have already looked at the theological aspect of Hell, Sheol, and Hades, the temporary; and Gehenna, the permanent residence–both torment, we will look only at the context of the Verses referring to these places.

We are eternally indebted to the Lord for giving us so much detail concerning the eternal destiny of the lost. We are going to list a few of the places that record God’s judgment upon the lost.

1. (Psalm 9:17), “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.“
   

2. (Job 21:30), “That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.“
   

3. (Proverb 15:11), “Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?“
   

4. (Proverb 15:24), “The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.“
   

5. (Proverb 27:20), “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.“
   

6. (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.“
   

7. (Isaiah 14:9), “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.“
   

8. (Isaiah 28:15), The reasoning of man–”Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge (i.e., judgment) shall pass through, it shall not come unto us…“  Now God answers their reasoning (Isaiah 28:18), “And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.“
   

9. (Isaiah 66:24), “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they (lost) shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”
   

10. (Psalm 11:6), “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.“
    

11. (Ezekiel 31:16), “I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him (Assyria) down to hell with them (lost) that descend into the pit (Sheol)…”
    

12. (Ezekiel 32:27), “…the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war…“
    

13. (Luke 16:23,24), “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth 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.“  If this man would only have lifted up his eyes to Christ on earth, he would not be lifting them up in Hell.  I hope, dear Reader, that if you are not saved, you will right now trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, before it is too late.”
    

14. (2nd Thessalonians 1:8,9), “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.“
    

15. (2nd Peter 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.“
    

16. (Revelation 14:11), “And the smoke of their (lost) torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.“
    

17. (Matthew 25:30), “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (unbearable pain).“
    

18. (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.“
    

19. (Revelation 20:15), “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.“
    

20. (Revelation 21:8), “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.“

What a terrifying account concerning the lost. God is a just God, and His judgment upon the sinner is more than justified. But another attribute of God is His love for the sinner. God, therefore provided a substitute for you and I.The Lord Jesus Christ took on human flesh and made the payment for the sins of the world. This is the only provision God made for you and I. We have just viewed God’s judgment for the sinner, now let us view God’s judgment on Christ as our provision for sin.

GOD’S PROVISION

1. (John 3:16), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
   

2. (2nd Corinthians 5:21), “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“
   

3. (Isaiah 53:4,5), “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.“
   

4. (Isaiah 53:6), “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.“
   

5. (Philippians 3:9), “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.“
   

6. (Revelation 22:17), “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.“
   

7. (Colossians 1:14), “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.“
   

8. (Titus 2:14), “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.“
   

9. (Hebrews 9:26), “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.“
   

10. (Hebrews 10:12,14), “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.“  “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.“
    

11. (Ephesians 1:7), “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.“
    

12. (Ephesians 2:8,9), “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.“
    

13. (1st John 5:13), “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.“
    

14. (Revelation 1:5), “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.“
    

15. (John 6:47,51), “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.“  “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.“
    

16. (John 5:24), “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.“
    

17. (John 10:28), “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.“
    

18. (John 11:25,26), “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?“
    

19. (Acts 15:11 and 16:31), “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.“  “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.“
    

20. (Acts 13:38,39), “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.“

The Lord in 2nd Peter 3:9 is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (Greek -”metanoia,” “a change of mind”). If you have never received Christ as your Saviour, then the Lord wants you to change your mind. He has expounded upon Hell, written in minute detail concerning His death, burial and resurrection, now the choice is yours.  Your decision will last for all eternity, whether in Heaven or Hell.  This is one decision you live or die by and, upon death, it becomes irreversible. I hope that reading the Scripture concerning Hell will persuade you to receive by faith, God’s provision for your sin, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now let us examine God’s promises to those who are saved.

GOD’S PROMISE

As a Christian, the child of God has everything to look forward to.  Even at death, he is assured he will be in the very presence of Christ in the glories of Heaven.  2nd Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (See John 5:24)

The Future

1. The promise of everlasting life (John 3:16).  “We will “never perish” (Hell) but have everlasting life.”
   

2. The promise of deliverance from the Tribulation (1st Thessalonians 1:10).  We will never have to go through the 7-year Tribulation period here on earth.  “…even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come,” (the Tribulation Period).  (Also, see Revelation 6:16,17).
   

3. The promise of the Rapture. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1st Corinthians 15:51,52).
   

4. The promise of a new body (Philippians 3:20,21), “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his (Christ’s) glorious body…” (also Verse 21).
   

5. The promise of the 2nd Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2).  “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Also, Hebrews 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 21).
   

6. The promise of a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1).  “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Also, Isaiah 65:17; 66:22)
   

7. The promise of no more death, sorrow, crying, tears or pain (Revelation 21:4).  “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.“
   

8. The promise of future rewards (revelation 22:12).  “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Also, Job 42:12; Psalm 1:3; 1st Corinthians 3:14; 2nd Corinthians 5:10)
   

9. The promise of peace (John 14:27).  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.“

10. The promise of an inseparable union with Christ (Romans 8:38,39).  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

The Present

1. The promise of financial blessings (2nd Corinthians 9:6-8).  “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” (Also, Psalm 37:25; Proverb 3:9,10; 11:24,25)
   

2. The promise of wisdom, understanding and knowledge (Proverb 2:1-7).  “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding (Verse 6).” (Also, Psalm 119:97-104)
   

3. The promise of never being forsaken (Hebrews 13:5). “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.“
   

4. The promise of help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.“
   

5. The promise to fulfill our desires (Psalm 37:4,5).  “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.“
   

6. The promise of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,17,26).  “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.“  “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.“
   

7. The promise that the earth will never be destroyed by another flood (Psalm 104:9).  “Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.” (Also, Psalm 104:6-9)
   

8. The promise of blessing for separation (Psalm 1:1-3).  “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Also, Psalm 119:1,2)
   

9. The promise of blessings for winning the lost (Proverb 11:30,31; Psalm 126:6).  “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.  Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.“  “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.“
   

10. The promise to answer prayer (John 9:31b; Proverb 15:29).  “…but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.“  “The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.“

These are just a handful of the hundreds of blessings that the Lord has for the Christian.  We have examined 20 Verses each, relative to God’s punishment upon the wicked, His provision (Christ) for the lost, and His promises for the Christians.  I pray you will turn from the punishment of Hell, receiving by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as your provision for sin and inherit the promises God has waiting for you.  You see, some day tomorrow will never come and it will be too late!  This is what the Lord is saying in 2nd Corinthians 6:2…

“…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

GOD’S PROCEDURE

If the lost are ever going to be saved, it is because someone cared enough to tell them about Christ.  In Romans 10:17,14 we are told, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“  “…and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?…“  Now let us examine a few Verses that I pray will stimulate a desire for us to fulfill our responsibility.

1. (John 4:35).  The time is short before the Rapture comes.  “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.“
   

2. (Jonah 3:1,4).  “…Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee…“  “…Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.“

You and I never know how long a person has before they die.  It may come suddenly or at an unexpected time, that is why it is so important to reach them now, before it is too late!

At a previous pastorate, a teen-age boy was instantly killed when his motorcycle was run over by a bus.  The teenagers in our church knew him well, but never expected something like this to happen.  One day they were talking to him–a couple of days later they were standing at his casket.  I asked if any of them had witnessed to him?  Their heads went down, the tears began to flow, but it was too late.  You see, we need to take advantage of every opportunity now, because tomorrow may never come for some.

1. (Mark 16:15).  “And he (Christ) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.“
   

2. (Ezekiel 3:18,19).  “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.“
   

3. (Matthew 28:19,20).  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.“
   

4. (Luke 14:23).  “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.“

We need to realize as Christians that this old earth is not a playground, but a battleground. Satan is seeking to claim all he can for eternal Hell, while Christ is seeking to save those that are lost (Luke 19:10). The procedure is simple, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Should we not, in turn, take the Word of God and share it with the lost? I don’t know about you, but I am sure glad someone cared enough to share Christ with me.  Shouldn’t I do the same for someone else? Since God gave Christ for me, I have a responsibility to give the Word of God to someone else. A very simple procedure.

In conclusion may I recommend that you read Acts 20:19-27 in its entirety.  The Apostle Paul (one of the greatest soul winners that ever lived) made these remarks while addressing the elders at Ephesus:

• Verse 19, “Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me…“
  

• Verse 20, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you…“
  

• Verse 21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks…“
  

• Verse 24, “That I might finish my course with joy…“
  

• Verses 26 and 27, “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.“

When we have fulfilled our responsibility as Paul did, there is nothing more we can do.  After Paul had preached in Corinth, he stated in Acts 18:6, “…Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean…“

We ought to finish our course here with clean hands, presenting the Gospel everywhere, every time to everyone where the opportunity exists. Then we can look in full expectation to the return of Christ, and knowing it has been worth it all when we hear Him say…

“…Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:23)

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Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor

HERITAGE BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH
P.O. Box 573
Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Telephone (507) 859-2519

Web: www.heritagebbc.com

The Reality of Hell

The Reality of Hell

By David J. Stewart

The Rich Man Went to Hell and Was Punished

We read of the rich man who went to hell in Luke 16:19-31. He died in his sins. Let’s read this factual account in the Scriptures. “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 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; And IN HELL he lift up his eyes, being in TORMENTS, and seeth 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 thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art TORMENTED. 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. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of TORMENT. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, 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”. Notice, Jesus did NOT say this was a parable; therefore, WE MUST ACCEPT IT AS LITERAL! Also notice that in all of Jesus’ parables, He always referred to a “certain man” or a “far off country.” Jesus never used specific names in His parables. Jesus used specific names in this account: Lazarus and Abraham. This is a factual account of something that happened. The word TORMENT(S) is found mentioned 3 times in verses 23, 25 and 28. Just as today, A MAN IS ONLY AS GOOD AS HIS WORD. We must believe then that JESUS SAID WHAT HE MEANT and MEANT WHAT HE SAID! The rich man was not a criminal, he was not a drug dealer, he was not a murderer, etc. What was it that kept the rich man from getting saved? Ready for this? He thought he had heaven on earth so he didn’t take the Word of God seriously. The rich man lived for himself. He could have cared less about the poor—people such as Lazarus. Lazarus was very poor and diseased. The rich man was very rich and stingy. Lazarus ate the crumbs out of the garbage pail of the rich man. The rich man was selfish and self-centered but that’s not what sent him to hell. He went to hell because he never put his FAITH in Christ as Savior. He was guilty of the worst sin of all—UNBELIEF. He never stopped long enough to consider his ways and turn to God for the forgiveness of his sins. He probably thought the preacher was a quack and the Word of God was just another religious book. Unfortunately, hell became his new home because of his wealthy pride that blinded him in unbelief.

Most Rich People Will Be Eternally Damned in the Lake of Fire

Oh how many rich people are sadly in hell right now. “Go to now, YE RICH MEN, weep and howl for your MISERIES that shall come upon you” (James 5:1). “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 18:25). “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the RICH MAN FADE AWAY IN HIS WAYS” (James 1:11). I’d like to add here, most people in the United States are rich and don’t realize it. These verses may indeed be speaking about you. The United States is a very rich nation. Even homeless people living on the streets have something here that immigrants are willing to risk their lives to have—opportunity. People are dying in the oceans and in box cars trying to escape the poverty stricken and communist lands they reluctantly call home. Surely we are a blessed people in the United States. However; along with this prosperity has arisen a stiff-necked people, full of pride. The rich man in Luke sixteen which we just read about had no color TV set—he had no refrigerator, no telephone, no electricity, no car, no plumbing, no washer or dryer, no modern medicine, no camera, no CD player, no radio, etc. By today’s standards he would be considered poor. Yet, he was called a “rich man” by God. I’m contending that we are all very rich indeed and in danger of the same kind of fate that the rich man met—Eternal damnation in hell. Do you take the Word of God SERIOUSLY? Or do you take God’s Word lightly?

Hell is a Place of Brutal Torments – Jesus Said that Hell Has Fire!

Let’s look at some more verses concerning hell. Jesus foretells of WEEPING and GNASHING OF TEETH, “…there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH” (Matthew 8:12). “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH” (Matthew 22:13). “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH” (Matthew 24:51). “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH” (Matthew 25:30). “There shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out” (Luke 13:28). “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: Where their worm dieth not, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED: Where their worm dieth not, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into HELL FIRE: Where their worm dieth not, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED” (Mark 9:43-48). Hell has fire!

The Wicked and the Righteous Cannot Go to the Same Grave

Do you really think Jesus would have spoken all these Words if hell didn’t have fire? Let’s hear Jesus’ Words in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. Jesus said what He meant and meant what He said. For anyone to deny that hell has fire is unbelief. When a man tells me he doesn’t believe that hell has fire, I know that he doesn’t believe the Bible. The Bible teaches that hell is fire and eternal damnation. I’ve heard people contend that the word “hell” only means grave. In some places in the Bible this is true, but in most others it means hell fire and punishment. Psalm 9:17 is a good example of where “hell” CANNOT mean simply “grave.” “THE WICKED SHALL BE TURNED INTO HELL, and all the nations that forget God.” Do not the righteous also go to the grave? If the word “hell” only means “grave”, then both the wicked and the righteous go to the same place. Only a fool would say such a thing. In most cases in the Bible, the word “hell” implies damnation and fire. The wicked go to hell-fire and punishment, the righteous go to heaven for life everlasting. Don’t be foolish my friend in denying that hell is real. I can assure you that this world we live in is NOT hell. I believe the worst thing about hell won’t be the suffering and torment, it will be the constant realization that you could have been up in heaven serving a loving God for all eternity. Oh how bitter the bitterness which will be inflicted upon those suffering in hell, an eternity to sulk in regrets and resentments. Perhaps this is the “worm that dieth not” which we read about several times in the Scriptures—the conscience. No one knows for sure what the “worms” are but whatever they are, I sure wouldn’t want to find out. The only safe place to be is in the everlasting arm of Jesus. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are THE EVERLASTING ARMS” (Deuteronomy 33:27). Are you safe and secure in the Everlasting Arms? Only in Jesus Christ can any person find true salvation and security.

God Tells the Wicked to Fear Because Hell is Real

And 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” (Matthew 10:28). God has the power to destroy both our soul as well as our body. If “hell” only refers to the grave, then why should we FEAR. If the worst thing that can happen to me is to be annihilated (non-existent), then why in the world should I FEAR? This is the erroneous teaching by the Jehovah Witnesses. They are dead wrong! I always say the same thing to a Jehovah’s Witness, “If your right about hell, I’ll just be dead and unconscious someday; But if the Bible is right about hell, you’ll burn in hell-fire for ALL ETERNITY.” So which road am I safer on, the Jehovah’s Witnesses road or the Bibles? I’ll take the Bible’s road any day! “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the DAMNATION OF HELL?” (Matthew 23:33). “And these shall go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:46). If there is no consciousness in the grave of the dead, then how can one’s punishment be everlasting? To “rightly divide” the Word of Truth, you simply CANNOT explain away the reality of hell. The Bible actually says more about hell than it does heaven, read it for yourself!

The Purpose of Hell

The Purpose of Hell

By David J. Stewart

Hell Was Prepared for the Devil and His Angels

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 (Matthew 25:41). God never intended for one single person to end up in hell. It is NOT God’s will that anyone should perish in their sins and go to hell. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL should come to REPENTANCE” (2nd Peter 3:9). It is NOT God’s fault if men and women are stubborn and unwilling to REPENT of their unbelief. Hell was NOT created for human beings but rather for Satan and his horde of demons. We are ALL without excuse for the wrong decisions we make in life—we CANNOT blame God. Perhaps other humans influenced us to make some wrong decisions but that’s not God’s fault. I often tell people, “Don’t give up on God because men fail you.” Let Job be our example, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). What a statement!

Demons KNOW That Their Day of Judgment is Coming

And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither TO TORMENT US BEFORE THE TIME?” (Matthew 8:28,29). All demons know that judgment day is coming for them. These demons in Matthew chapter eight were afraid that Jesus was going to confine them to the pits of hell before their time was come. Evidently some angels are so wicked that God has bound them in chains, awaiting the day of judgment. We read of such angels in Jude, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath RESERVED IN EVERLASTING CHAINS under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6). Jesus had the power to send these demons to the everlasting chains of confinement. “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” (2nd Peter 2:4). These demons are reserved in chains awaiting the day of God’s judgment. Even Satan himself will be bound in chains during the one-thousand-year millennial reign of Christ upon the earth, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and A GREAT CHAIN in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:1,2). So we learn that hell was only intended to be the place of reservation for the fallen angels.

Demons Acknowledge That Hell is a Place of Torment

Notice that the demons in Matthew 8:29 asked Jesus if He had come to TORMENT them. Hell is a place of torment. The demons know that judgment day is approaching. Presently, many of the demons are free to roam about through the earth. We see this in 1st Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, WALKETH ABOUT, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan is alive and well folks! The devil wants to render you useless for God, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” (John 10:10). Satan is that murderous thief. We are told in Revelation 12:12, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but A SHORT TIME.” Satan’s days are numbered! This particular Scripture verse is referring to Satan’s mischief during the tribulation period. The devil is always good for nothing and up to something. Satan knows the Bible better than any human being but is a rejecter of the truth, he is full of hatred and deliberately changes and counterfeits the truth. After the seven-year tribulation, Satan knows that He will be bound in chains for one thousand years. This time of Satan’s rage during the last three and a half years of the tribulation period is known as the “great tribulation period.” The Bible warns of the atrocities of that coming time.

Demons Tremble and Fear God

Also notice in Matthew 8:29 that the demons said, “what have we to do with Thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?” In other words, “we’re minding our own business, why are you here?” The demons fear God! We read in James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and TREMBLE.” The fallen angels know that their time of judgment is inevitably approaching. Hell was created for the devil and his angels as a jail to contain them until the judgment. Why certain angels are free to roam the earth and others are reserved in chains unto judgment?—the Bible does not say. We’ve seen already from the Scriptures we’ve studied that demons are afraid of Jesus, afraid of being tormented before their time.

The Great White Throne – The Final Judgment of the Unsaved

We read these interesting words in Revelation 20:14, “And DEATH AND HELL were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” How can hell be cast into the lake of fire? How can death be cast into the lake of fire? Hell is a jail where the unsaved await trial and sentencing before being cast into the prison of the lake of fire. Please understand that if you are not a Believer—you are already condemned! “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). Death is man’s great enemy! All the wealth, fame and worldly enjoyments a person may experience in this lifetime CANNOT go with them beyond the grave. Once your dead, it’s over! It’ll be too late to live for God when your six feet under. Death means SEPARATION. The first death is the SEPARATION of body from soul and spirit. This is true of the saved and of the unsaved because we must ALL experience the first death. Only the unsaved must experience the second death. If you’re a Believer, you will receive your resurrected incorruptible body at the rapture (before the tribulation); If your NOT a Believer, then your body will be resurrected after the millennium to stand before God at the great white throne of judgment. “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” (Revelation 20:13). There will be a reuniting of the body, soul and spirit at the great white throne of judgment. Body, soul and spirit will be cast into the lake of fire. The Bible makes reference to the body being destroyed in hell, “And 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” (Matthew 10:28). Those in hell will be cast into the lake of fire. The second death is a SEPARATION of your body, soul and spirit from God for ALL ETERNITY! How sad. If man will not accept the life of God, he must accept the only other alternative—eternal association with Satan. God never created mankind to be put in such a horrible place, but there is no other place for him. Hell was created for the Devil and his angels. I take it that this is a place where God never goes. The second death means eternal and absolute separation from God.

The Penalty of Hell

The Penalty of Hell

By David J. Stewart

Sin Brings the Penalty of Death

You must realize and admit to God that because of YOUR OWN SINFULNESS, you are under the CONDEMNATION OF GOD and are DESERVING of the PENALTY of HELL FIRE and DAMNATION. The Bible makes this clear. WE EARN DEATH by the SINS WE HAVE COMMITTED, just as you would earn wages from working a job. “For the WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” (Romans 6:23). The Scriptures declare that those who die without CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR WILL DIE A SECOND DEATH as well as a first death. If you are NOT saved, you are already spiritually dead. You are simply awaiting your future home in hell, the second death. You need to do absolutely nothing to go to hell, but you must be born-again to go to heaven.

The Bible speaks of a second death. “But the fearful, and UNBELIEVING, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL LIARS, shall have their part in THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: which is the SECOND DEATH” (Revelation 21:8). “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the SECOND DEATH hath no power” (Revelation 20:6).

Committing Even One Sin Makes Us Guilty of All

How many people does a person have to kill to be considered a murderer? Obviously, JUST ONE! So likewise, how many lies does a person have to tell to be a liar? Again, JUST ONE! Revelation 21:8 tells us that ALL LIARS will have their part in the SECOND DEATH (THE LAKE OF FIRE). James 2:10 affirms this, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE POINT, he is GUILTY OF ALL.” Once Adam and Eve had committed sin, they were bound for an earthly grave as well as an eternal grave in hell forever. Hell is the destiny of all those who are spiritually dead when they die. If you die in your sins, it is too late. It is also worthy to mention that Adam and Eve only committed ONE SIN; thus, disobeying God. What was their horrible sin? Eating some fruit! It is common for people today to diminish the wickedness of sin. We must NOT make the sin of deciding how sinful sin is—ALL sin is wicked and wrong because ALL sin is rebellion against God. Also, Adam and Eve were not degenerate people before they sinned, they were perfect and upright. This teaches us that NO ONE is above sin. We ALL have the potential to sin, no matter how close we walk with God. The old sin nature CANNOT be tamed!

Spiritual Death verses the Second Death

There seems to be a misunderstanding concerning spiritual death. May I say, the “second death” is NOT the same thing as “spiritual death.” If you are NOT saved, you are already spiritually dead. The “second death” is when you die and go to hell. Let me say again, if you are not saved—You are already spiritually dead! Your already a child of hell. That’s why you need to get saved, so you can have spiritual life anew in Jesus Christ. Without Christ, you are of the devil. Those who are NOT saved have the spirit of Satan working in them, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE” (Ephesians 2:1,2). Satan has the great power of influence upon this old sin-cursed world. The Bible teaches that the natural (unsaved) man is prone to follow worldly philosophies and entertainment (which are really Satan’s teachings and activities). People who are spiritually dead (unsaved) are naturally inclined to heed the devil’s call because he is bankrupt of any goodness or integrity. Satan’s voice prompts his children to selfish thoughts, self-centered activities and self-righteous religion. Satan is the father of all liars and murderers! The devil’s goal for each of us to keep us from doing God’s will. Satan has NO WILL for your life, he wants you to do “your own thing.” In so doing, you have forgotten about God. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The Second Death is God’s Judgment Upon Lost Sinners

The bottom line is this, WE MUST ALL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF GOD SOMEDAY. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this THE JUDGMENT” (Hebrews 9:27). ARE YOU READY? The teaching of Hell may not be popular in the new millennium but it is a clear Bible teaching. Let’s look at some Scripture references concerning ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. “…suffering the vengeance of ETERNAL FIRE” (Jude 7). “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the FIRE; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 23). “…for their worm shall not die, NEITHER SHALL THEIR FIRE BE QUENCHED…” (Isaiah 66:24). “Where their WORM DIETH NOT, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED” (Mark 9:44). “…Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in DANGER OF HELL FIRE” (Matthew 5:22). “And 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” (Matthew 10:28). Notice from the Scripture we just read that God has the power to destroy both our soul as well as our body. If “hell” only refers to the grave, then why should we FEAR. If the worst thing that can happen to me is to be annihilated (non-existent), then why in the world should I FEAR? This is the erroneous teaching of the Jehovah Witnesses. They are dead wrong! I always say the same thing to a Jehovah’s Witness, “If your right about hell, I’ll just be dead and unconscious someday; But if I’m right about hell, you’ll burn in hell-fire for ALL ETERNITY.” So which road am I safer on, the Jehovah’s Witnesses road or the Bibles? I’ll take the Bible road any day! “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the DAMNATION OF HELL?” (Matthew 23:33). “And these shall go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:46). If there is no consciousness in the grave of the dead, then how can one’s punishment be everlasting? The Bible must be taken at face value, it says what it means and means what it says. The Bible has much to say about hell. The Bible has more to say about hell than it does about heaven, read it for yourself.

Christ-rejecters are Condemned to Hell Already

We are CONDEMNED ALREADY and the WRATH OF GOD is upon us IF we have NOT accepted CHRIST AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR. Listen to the Words of John the Baptist, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM” (John 3:36). “God judgeth the righteous, and GOD IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED EVERY DAY” (Psalm 7:11). If you die in your sins, you must face the TERROR OF GOD. “Knowing therefore the TERROR OF THE LORD, we persuade men” (2nd Corinthians 5:11). The terror is NOT for the Believer but for the unbeliever. “And they journeyed: and the TERROR OF GOD was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob” (Genesis 35:5). “It is a FEARFUL THING to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). For anyone to say that there is no hell or that hell does not have fire is a foolish thing indeed. What fear is there in facing God if there is no hell which burns with fire. There is no fear in annihilation (ceasing to exist). No my friend, hell is very real.