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his101
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whathell.arj
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WHATHELL.TXT
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1990-05-15
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HELL
The word "Hell" is one of the most often used words in our society, yet is
one of the most misunderstood words. Many people do not really consider
Hell a real place because God is "too loving" to ever have created such an
abode. Others would say that Hell exists only "on earth" with reference to
some particular place or situation. The question is, "Is there really a
place of torment called Hell?"
Hell is clearly taught in the Bible. In fact, it was Jesus who taught more
on the subject than anyone else in the entire Scriptures!
Hell was originally created for angels who had sinned. Jesus said in
Matthew 25:41, when referring to the judgment of the wicked, ". . .Depart
from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire (Hell) prepared for the
devil and his angels." In the book of 2nd Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 4 we
read that, ". . .God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but sent
them to Hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment."
Hell, therefore, was originally created for the first sinners in the
universe, Satan and his angels, rather than for man. But since hell was
designed as a place for "sinners," man became eligible when he joined the
fallen angels in sin. Hell is the place of punishment where sinning men
and angels go to pay for their offenses (sins) against the Holy God of the
Universe. This procedure is similar to the penalty/payment requirements of
our own prison systems. Among men when someone offends the authorities by
violating the laws and is found guilty, he is put into prison to pay for
his crimes. If the offense is serious then he can receive a "life term,"
meaning that no amount of time can ever repay the harm to society. In the
case of God and man, even the smallest infraction offends our Holy and Pure
God, which calls for a life sentence (with no hope of parole).
1) Hell is a place of actual fire and burning.
In the words of Jesus, ". . .if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out
and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to
have two eyes and to be thrown into the fire of Hell." (Mat 18:9). Notice
His reference to the "fire" of Hell here and also in Mark 9:43 where He
says, ". . .if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for
you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell, where the
fire never goes out." Not only is Hell a place of burning fire but it is
also an eternal fire. (see also: Mat 5:22,29,30;10:28;Luke 12:5;Jude
1:7).
2) Hell is a place of torment.
Here are the words of a person actually speaking from hell. Jesus quotes
the "rich man" who had died and been sent to hell. Listen to the words
from hell, "I am in agony in this fire." (Luke 16:24). Isaiah 66:24; Mark
9:44,46,48 all mention one kind of suffering experienced in hell, "their
worm will not die [similar to the gnawing of maggots], nor will their
fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."
Hell also is a place where the unsaved will receive "blows" [beatings].
Luke 12:48 states that unsaved men who willfully disobey God's commands
will receive many blows, but those who in ignorance do not obey, will
receive fewer blows. Hell is also a place where both body and soul are
destroyed. (Matt 10:28).
3) Hell is a place of darkness.
In the Old Testament we read that, ". . .the wicked will be silenced in
darkness." (1Samuel 2:9) Today the wicked are often very loud in their sin
and rebellion against God but the day is coming when they will be stilled
in darkness. Jesus refers to those excluded from heaven being, "thrown
outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth." (Matt 8:12). In parables about the coming judgments, Jesus often
refers to those who reject Him as being, "thrown into the outer darkness."
(Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).
4) Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Many references in the New Testament refer to the "weeping and gnashing" of
teeth in hell. (Matt 8:12;13:42,50;22:13;24:51;25:30; Luke 13:28). The
word weeping is best translated "shrieking" and the word gnashing as
"grinding." In hell man will have a literal body with "teeth" and will
scream and grind his teeth in anger and pain.
Hell is a place of burning torment created for the Devil and his angels,
but now also serves as a place of punishment for sinful man. Man deserves
to go there for his many sins against a Holy and Pure God, yet God's great
love and mercy has provided for a "way out" of the fires of hell. Jesus
Christ went to the Cross and suffered the punishment of hell for the sins
of all men. Therefore, God offers freedom from sin and its judgments to
those who will humble themselves before Him and repent of their sins by
accepting Jesus as the sovereign authority over them in all matters.
The offer from God is simple; sin must be paid for, either by Jesus on the
cross, or by the individual in the eternal fires of hell. The choice is up
to us. Do we humble ourselves before Jesus and repent and ask for
forgiveness and let Him pay for our sins? Or do we remain proud and
stubborn and go into the fires of hell, to spend an eternity trying to pay
for our many sins against God?