Turning the page…
Turning the page…
Glory · Who We Are
Hell is the place God has appointed for the devil, his angels, and all who are not written in the book of life: eternal punishment described in Scripture as fire, darkness, destruction, and the second death. Jesus spoke of it more than anyone, so we cannot treat it as an embarrassment or an exaggeration. Its reality is terrible, and that is exactly why the gospel is such good news.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/what-is-hell · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Matthew 25:31-46
As you read: The King's sentence to those on the left: 'the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.'
31“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
32Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.
36I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?
38When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’
40“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
42for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;
43I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
45“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’
46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Mark 9:43-48
As you read: The strongest language in all the Gospels: Gehenna, the unquenchable fire, the worm that does not die.
43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,
44‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’
45If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched—
46‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’
47If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehennaof fire,
48‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’
Luke 16:19-31
As you read: A window into the afterlife: comfort and torment, and a great gulf fixed between them.
19“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
20A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
23In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.
24He 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 in anguish in this flame.’
25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.
26Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’
27“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house;
28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’
29“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”
Revelation 20:11-15
As you read: The lake of fire, the second death, and who is written in the book of life.
11I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
The word Jesus used most was Gehenna, the valley outside Jerusalem whose history of judgment made it a picture of God's final wrath. He said it is better to enter life maimed than to be cast 'into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm doesn't die and the fire is not quenched,' and He warned against anger and lust in the same terms. He spoke this way because He loved people enough to tell them the truth about where sin leads.
“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched— ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehennaof fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’”Mark 9:43-48
“But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.”Matthew 5:22
“If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.”Matthew 5:29-30
Scripture piles image upon image to make us feel the weight: the 'eternal fire' prepared for the devil and his angels, the 'outer darkness' where there is 'weeping and gnashing of teeth,' and 'eternal destruction from the face of the Lord.' Each picture is a different angle on the same reality: separation from God's presence and blessing, experienced by a person who was made to know Him.
“Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;”Matthew 25:41
“but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.””Matthew 8:12
“who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,”2 Thessalonians 1:9
Hell was not made for people; Jesus calls it the fire 'prepared for the devil and his angels.' But those who love unrighteousness share the destination: everyone 'not found written in the book of life' is cast into the lake of fire. In the story of the rich man, there is torment, thirst, memory, and a 'great gulf fixed' that no one can cross. It is a place of conscious separation, of anguish, and of regret.
“Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;”Matthew 25:41
“If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.”Revelation 20:15
“In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 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 in anguish in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’”Luke 16:23-26
“But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””Revelation 21:8
Revelation calls the lake of fire 'the second death,' and Jesus says the condemned 'will go away into eternal punishment' just as the righteous enter 'eternal life': the same word modifies both destinies. Daniel saw those who awake 'to shame and everlasting contempt.' Scripture means an endless ruin, not a quick end; judgment carries the weight of the infinite One who is rejected.
“Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.”Revelation 20:14-15
“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””Matthew 25:46
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”Daniel 12:2
“But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””Revelation 21:8
God declares, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,' and Peter says He is patient, 'not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' He 'desires all people to be saved.' Hell is real, and its reality is the measure of the rescue: the cross is where Jesus bore what our sins deserved, so that whoever believes in Him 'should not perish, but have eternal life.' We flee from the wrath to come by running to the One who was judged in our place.
“Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?”Ezekiel 33:11
“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”2 Peter 3:9
“who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.”1 Timothy 2:4
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”John 3:16