A Place Called Hell

Why Do So Many Doubt? Results of Polls Saying: Figures never lie, but liars figure. Gallup Poll – 1999 – 54% of adults interviewed believed in hell. Maranatha Poll 1997 – 85% Gallup Poll 2007 – 69% About half of these believe hell is not a place, but a ceasing to exist

The Bible is our source of information Is there really a place called hell?

The Old Testament defends belief in hell Daniel 12:2 -- Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Confirms a resurrection Confirms eternity Confirms division of righteous and wicked

Jesus speaks frequently of hell Matthew 5:22 -- But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Jesus uses the word GEHENNA to discuss an eternal place of burning, fiery punishment.

Matthew 5:29-30 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Matthew 23:33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

Mark 9:47-48 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where " 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”

Luke 10:15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.

John speaks of hell in Revelation Revelation 21:8 -- But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Paul defends doctrine of eternal judgment 2 Thessalonians 1: He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power…

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

Jude defends the doctrine Jude 1:7 -- In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Where is hell? What will it be like? Center of the earth… 1 Samuel 28:13-15 – Saul sees Samuel coming up out of the earth. We must remember, though, that Samuel was in Sheol. Numbers 16:31-33 – Korah and his kin are swallowed up whole into Sheol – the grave. Not synonymous with hell.

Ephesians 4:9 -- (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions…?” Assumes “depths of the earth” to be hell. More likely is a contrast between “heaven” and “earth”

Matthew 11:23 -- And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. So, is hell in the center of the earth – the burning core? Little here can be used to definitively say this doctrine is true.

Is hell in outer space? In a black hole? There is no information for or against this idea Will hell be the earth itself? 2 Peter 3:10 -- But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Can’t be. Hell already exists! We just can’t know where hell is.

What will hell be like? Luke 16:19-24 – The parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Speaks of HADES, but the effect is the same. Burning, agony, fire, misery.

Matthew 8:12 – “But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Outer darkness 2 Peter 2:17 -- These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

Weeping and gnashing of teeth Luke 13:28 -- "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” (Matthew 24:51)

How Could a Loving God Do That? 2 Peter 3:9 -- The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. God NEVER intended hell to be for people. People chose hell over heaven.

God is perfect love – also must be perfect justice. Acts 17:31 -- For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Why eternity? Isn’t that unfair? Questions? What is sin? Who is sin against? Who’s image have we betrayed? Who has provided forgiveness to those who will accept it? What right does the condemned have to question the sentence handed down by the righteous judge?