What about the definition and description of Hell?
The Early Jews Believed
The first- century Jews vividly described hell and the descriptions they gave were the same as the ones provided by the New Testament authors and the images presented by Jesus. They said all sinners would be blotted out of the book of life. These sinners would cry and lament in an invisible wilderness and they would burn in the fire. They described this place as being “completely dark.” Although it was completely dark there was the flame of its fire burning brightly. They described Hell as being an “abyss…full of fire” and pictured all the wicked being “cast into this fiery abyss, and they were burned.” Fire, darkness and lamenting were typical ways they described that place. There is one thing that is very clear: First-century Jews knew that Hell was for real. They believed in the “abyss” where its inhabitants were in pain. They believed in Hell and knew Hell was for real.[1]
Hell is about judgment and eternal separation. All the words about Hell that come from Jesus are related to judgment. When we think of the picture of Hell painted throughout the New Testament there are a number of things we need to understand. One thing is that God is a just god. He is Holy and must judge according to His perfect righteousness. He is the Great High Priest and the ruler of all. All His creation is accountable to Him. Anyone that has studied God’s word knows that one basic teaching is there will be a final judgment day for all. Everyone is to be judged according to His perfect law and His righteousness.[2]
Theological Definition of Hell
From a theological standpoint the doctrine of Hell is relating to eschatology. Eschatology is the study of end-times events, the book of Revelation in the Bible and what happens to an individual’s soul when their physical body dies. Actually in simple terms it is related to our eternal destiny and whether our soul goes to heaven or to hell. God has an offer for everyone to join Him in His kingdom when they die. Unfortunately very few will take him up on his offer and instead of choosing heaven they will be residing in this place called hell.
God is without sin and holy, just and loving. Nothing unholy can ever come within His presence. Anyone failing to accept the truth must end up somewhere else after physical death and that somewhere else is Hell. This is not a pleasant topic however it is one that is very important to understand in biblical context.[3]
There is enough evidence for us to believe that Hell, the Gehenna Hell exists today. It is real and it is likely someone you have known is there now. That should be a sobering, tearful and frightful thought. According to the scriptures and the words of Jesus heaven is still in preparation. It says, 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”.[4]
As for Hell, however, there is strong evidence from the Bible and also from scientific facts that say Hell exists right now. Look to 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”. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost wrote, “The word ‘prepared’ literally is “having been prepared,” suggesting that the lake of fire is already in existence and awaiting its occupants. It is the thesis of C.T. Schwatrze, then of New York University, that such a place as a lake of fire is known to science today.”[5]
The images of Hell in the Old Testament are where the phrase “fire and brimstone” originated. It is the King James Version’s explanation of “burning sulfur” suffocating its victims by the fumes and the flames would destroy anything else remaining. Lamentations indicates that death by fire and brimstone might be fairly merciful compared to some ways of meeting the end. “For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her” (Lam. 4:6). God’s wrath was poured out on sinners in Sodom and Gomorrah and they were burned to ashes as an example of what will happen to the ungodly in the end. “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly” (2 Peter 2:6). The absolute permanence of that city’s destruction is made clear in the scriptures. It was a forever lasting event. (Isaiah 13:19-22; Jer. 5040). The city of Sodom would never again rise which is the picture of the destiny of those Jude was referring to. They will “suffer the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7).[6]
Hell is for real! The reality of Hell is an established fact. There is an undeniable reality of Hell. Tony Evans writes, “Hell is the place of external exile where the ungodly will experience god’s righteous retribution against sin forever. We are going to see that of all the suffering in hell, the worst is the fact that the lost are banished from God’s presence forever.[7]
Join me next time to look into the human responses to hell compared to what the Bible says about that horrible place. CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO PART 3.
Jump to Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Conclusion.
Have a Godly day,
“The Tubthumper”
[1] Chan and Sprinkle, Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We Made Up.
[2] Sproul, Unseen Realities, 61.
[3] Robert Velarde, Is Hell Real?, http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/becoming_a_christian/is_christ_the_only_way/is_hell_real.aspx (accessed April 19, 2013).
[4] The Holy Bible, King James Version.
[5] Harold L. Wilmington, Great Truths from God’s Word: Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1993), 228.
[6] Edward William Fudge, and Peterson, Two Views of Hell, 29.
[7] Evans, Tony Evans Speaks Out on Heaven and Hell, 16.