A Defense of the Biblical Doctrine of Hell
Introduction
So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7)?
This proclaimed danger is the wrath of God; which abides on every ungodly man and woman. It is written, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11); and, “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); and also, “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).
This paper is going to deal with the result of God’s wrath, the doctrine of hell. I will contrast terms such as Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, and Abaddon for clarification on what hell is and what it is not.
Hell is a real place often spoken about by the Lord Jesus Christ to all of His listeners. A striking question He posed to the religious leaders of the Jewish ecclesia was, “…how can ye escape the damnation of hell” (Matt 23:33)? I will present my defense on the doctrine of hell with various Scripture references but will work within the parable of the drag net Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13:47-52.
This doctrine is important too me based solely on the shallow rhetoric I’ve heard in the clerical arena about the subject. I attended a seminar where I listened to a well known pastor declare before a large student body, “there is no hell.” Later I approached her about the comment she made about the non-existence of hell and she very matter-of-factly told me, “Man has used this doctrine to scare and control their congregations for far too long! Jesus spoke only briefly about hell and never once did He directly describe it as a literal place of eternal torment; and until somebody can show me differently, I along with many other clergy in this area, certainly in this denomination, will be teaching otherwise!” Not until she included other supporting pastors for her cause did I grasp the totality of the danger in this growing movement.
Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, Abaddon
For clarification, let us examine some terms, descriptive places the Bible speaks about that can get tangled up in the definition of hell and therefore cause misinterpretations about mans eternal state and place after death.
Hades: It is described as the abode for the dead (Matt 11:23; 16:18, Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27). All people who die, believers and unbelievers go to Hades; [1] in fact, Hades and Death are used four times interchangeably in (Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20: 13-14). In NT Greek, Hades can be found ten times and is uniformly translated “hell” in the KJV.[2] It must be clarified however, that Hades is not hell! For example, in Matthew 11:23 our Lord says Capernaum will go down to Hades and then in Matthew 24, He puts the Day of Judgment for Sodom and Capernaum
Hades is not the permanent region of the lost; in point and time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna.[4]
Gehenna
Gehenna: The abode of the wicked; the name (given as hell KJV) is derived from the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom.[5] Scripture tells us that God has the authority to through wicked men, in whose fire can destroy body and soul, into hell (Matt 10:28; Luke 12:5). It is a place of punishment (Matt 5:22, 29, 10:28; James 3:6). Jesus tells us in (Luke 16:19-31) about a rich man who was conscious, able to feel pain, thirst and even experience remorse. This has significance as there are some traditions that teach at death, we sleep in the grave. Jesus also taught that that if your eye, hand, or foot cause you to sin, it would be better to remove it than go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched and where the worm dies not (Mark 9:43-48). Gehenna is everlasting, “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone… the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night (Rev 14:10, 11).
To further grasp the bodily state after death let us examine the OT description, Sheol.
Sheol: is the domain of the dead, located beneath the earth (Num 16:30), and under the waters (Job 26:5). The comparison of the NT word Hades and the OT word Sheol are stark. One thing we can glean from the description of Sheol comes to us from the Book of Ecclesiastes and describes our condition during our initial time of passing; “Neither doing nor thinking, neither understanding nor wisdom” (Ecc 9:10); and as for our relationship with God at this time, the dead did not have any communication with Him (Psalm 88:6) nor could they praise Him (Psalm 30:9). The contrast between Hades and Sheol with Gehenna are obvious and relevant when defending the doctrine of hell. Finally let us examine one last word used in the Hebrew Bible that parallels the English word “hell,” Abaddon.
Abaddon: (“place of destruction”) is described in the OT Canon as a region of the dead (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12).[6] Abaddon in Hebrew is translated Apollyon (destroyer) in Greek. In Revelation 9:11 he is said to reign over the locusts which rise from the bottomless pit at the sounding of the fifth trumpet. These descriptions give us an overall understanding of timing and continuity in part from the moment of death (Hades/ Sheol), to the moment of destruction (Abaddon), until the final judgment (Gehenna); in which we will either live in eternal glory or eternal gloom.
Parable of the Dragnet
When I hear a question like, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7); and bring it along a statement like, “…how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matt 23:33), I get the big picture of why God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Number one, we need to flee from God’s wrath; and number two, the hell we are running from is real and in our own righteousness is impossible for any of us to avoid.
In the parable of the dragnet (Matthew 13:47-52), Jesus gives us a vivid demonstration of how men will be judged when gathered by His angels in the final moment of separation. I have seined for bait. I can imagine the little creatures in the waterhole swimming unaware, not believing the net is approaching, or even caring about it. I get the meaning of the parable. I understand the dragnet is all consuming and that all of us will be caught, examined, and allocated to our places according to God’s standards. Thrown out resonates with me. Jesus proclaimed a coming resurrection for all men; some “unto the resurrection of life” and some “unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:25-29). In (Matthew 13:50), Jesus proclaims, “And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” The wicked will be cast “into the furnace of fire,” this is proclaimed by Jesus Himself. What I fail to grasp is how the doctrine of hell can be misunderstood, reasoned away, or flat out denied!
Oppositional statements
I’m going to share some statements I’ve heard people say about their concept of hell and how it stands up with the Word of God.
“I’m looking forward to hell. I know a lot of friends who will be waiting for me there.”
God sees all things. He is Just and through Scripture has indicated the destination of those who reject Christ and continue in their sin. Sinners actually see hell as a fun destination, a place to continue their sinful practices forever. But Jesus tells us it is a place of torment, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched (Matt 9:43-45). The psalmist puts it this way, “Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for the wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them” (Ps 55:15).
“The God I know would never create a hell.”
The God they proclaim is not the Holy God in Scripture. This God has been created from human reasoning, worldly philosophy, and satanic commentary. This comment comes from one who has created a god that accommodates a sinful lifestyle; it’s a sin called “idolatry.” They see other gods that satisfy their desire rather than a Just God who punishes sin. “And if your eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire” (Matt 18:9). The pastor I mentioned earlier falls into this category of deception. She has been blinded to the God of the Bible.
“What about the people who have never heard the Gospel; will they go to hell?”
Failing to hear the gospel is not a sin, knowingly committing sin when you know the Law says not to is a sin (I John 3:4). We are not held accountable for what we do not know. “For as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law: and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law” (Rom 2:12).
“Hell is just a metaphor for the grave.”
This comment brings us back to the description of hell we discussed earlier.
The three words translated “hell” in Scripture:
Hades (Gk): The abode of the dead (Matt 11:23; 16:18, Luke 16:23)
Sheol (Hebrew): The grave (Psalm 9:17; 16:10)
Hell for some is just a place of eternal rest. I suppose they cannot accept a place of eternal torment. What they fail to recognize is this concept allows for a rapist, murderer, etc… to receive as a punishment a deep long sleep. This isn’t Biblical. Remember the rich man Jesus used in His parable that was in hell? He felt pain, thirst, and terror for his family still living; this is a far cry from eternal sleep. “I an He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death” (Rev 1:18). Death couldn’t hold Christ and it will not hold any of us.
Conclusion
Hell is as real as heaven. Both doctrines are covered in Scripture. There seems to be an imbalance problem between the Gospel of Law and Grace being preached and taught in this generation which has led many to disregard the reality of hell or heaven for that matter. The danger of course in promoting a no hell doctrine or even an incorrect doctrine of hell nullifies the need for God’s grace. Christ’s sacrifice is nullified in this false teaching and “idolatry” is enhanced. The emergent church that promotes a doctrine of universal salvation says Jesus has forgiven you of your sin already, relax and live; do not listen to those who insist you must receive the gift of Christ, it has already been given to you. It is messages like this and passivity in the clerical arena that bolsters the rise of apostasy in our churches today. We must continue to contend for the faith (Jude 1:4). The doctrine of hell must be taught not avoided; it must be presented in a way that brings conviction therefore highlighting the glory of Jesus Christ, our blessed Redeemer. Hell was created for Satan and his fallen angels, not for man; but we can make the choice to reject Christ and therefore choose Hell, a place God never intended for mankind.
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