Hell: Idle Threat or Eternal Torment?
Pastor Rick Rogers
Logos Researcher
Links to Topics:
Introduction
1. A Denial of Hell is a Reflection on
God
2. A Denial of Hell is a Renouncement of the Cross
3. A Denial of Hell is a Refutation of God's Word
Have you ever heard, or have even asked the question yourself, "How
could a loving God ever send anybody to an eternal hell for any reason, no
matter how bad they have been? I simply cannot see God doing that."
Sometimes, we have a problem accepting the doctrine of hell. The horrors of it’s
reality trouble us, and presents a stark contrast with our understanding of Who
and what God is. Because of the intellectual problems, we may have a problem
accepting it’s reality.
Historically, those who believed and preached the Word of God taught that
those who die in their sins apart from trusting Jesus Christ as Savior would
suffer eternal punishment in hell. It seemed clear enough Biblically, it fit
into a sound theological framework, and the gospel went forth from burdened,
hard preaching pastors concerning sin, righteousness and eternal judgment.
Currently, however, there seems to be a change of opinion in many evangelical
circles. Hell is questioned, argued, doubted and often, denied. Though this has
been a view in liberalism and the cults for quite some time, the shift is
relatively new in evangelical circles.
A few brief examples are certainly in order. Billy Graham stated, "The
only thing I could say for sure is that hell means separation from God. We are
separated from his (sic) light, from his (sic) fellowship. That is
going to hell. When it comes to a literal fire, I don't preach it because I'm
not sure about it. When the Scripture uses fire concerning hell, that is
possibly an illustration of how terrible it's going to be - not fire but
something worse, a thirst for God that cannot be quenched." ("A
Christian in Winter," Time, Nov. 15, 1993, p. 74). Kenneth Kantzer,
former editor of Christianity Today, said "The Bible makes it clear
that hell is real and it's bad ... but when Jesus spoke of flames ... these are
most likely figurative warnings." ("Revisiting the abyss," U.
S. News and World Report, March 25, 1991, p. 63). Clark H. Pinnock,
professor of Theology at McMaster Divinity College, asked in the Criswell
Theological Review "How can Christianity possibly project a deity of
such cruelty and vindictiveness as to inflict everlasting torture upon his
creatures, however sinful they may have been? ... A God who would do such a
thing is more nearly like Satan than like God." (Ibid., p. 63).
Thus, evangelical leaders such as Billy Graham, Kenneth Kantzer, Clark Pinnock,
in addition to other well known evangelicals such as John R.
W. Stott, Philip Hughes and F. F. Bruce have at least questioned the reality of
a literal hell as a place of fire and eternal torment.
This report will discuss three serious problems which arise about God and His
Word if the doctrine of hell, including it’s literal flames and
eternal torment, is denied. When a Biblical view of this magnitude is
challenged, the impact it has on other doctrinal views are tremendous.
1. A Denial of Hell is a Reflection on
God
Man by his fallen nature is a radically independent being, and the
"spirit of the age" is for him to attempt to explain everything - even
the things he does not understand. Man has a difficult time understanding the
doctrine of eternal punishment, but instead of accepting it as Biblical truth,
he rejects it because it does not match the image of God that he has formulated.
In reality, man's rationale is placed on a higher level of authority than God's
Word.
Observe first of all that a denial of hell is certainly a reflection on God's
holiness. We need to understand that eternal punishment is grounded on Who and
what God is! Note the following examples concerning the attributes of God.
God is holy, and He cannot tolerate sin, Isa. 6:3; Hab. 1:13; Rev.
4:8. Lev. 19:2 states, "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of
Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am
holy." This is an important attribute by which He is known! As a holy God,
He can and does demand holiness from His volitional creatures, shown by His
commands throughout Scripture. The entire sacrificial system of the Old
Testament and the Cross of Calvary in the New Testament are to allow an
individual the unmerited favor to stand in righteousness before Him.
When mankind fails, God is absolutely just when He demands punishment
for sins. In Jn. 5:30, Jesus teaches "I can of mine own self do nothing: as
I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me." God's judgment is always just,
and the just punishment for sin is death. Death is primarily separation, and
must be defined in three different realms.
First, there is physical death, in which the material (body) is separated
from the immaterial (soul / spirit), cf. Gen. 3:19. This is what most
people commonly think about when death is mentioned.
Second, there is spiritual death, which is illustrated by Paul through the
use of a contrast in Eph. 2:1. By nature, man is spiritually dead in trespasses
and sins, separated from God's fellowship, and he will remain so unless he is
regenerated at salvation. Man cannot relate to God apart from salvation because
he is spiritually dead. He cannot obey, know or love God anymore than a corpse
could obey, know or love the surviving family members. There simply is no life.
Third, there is the second death, also called eternal death, consummated at
the Lake of Fire, cf. Rev. 20:11-15. The second death is an eternal
separation from God in a literal place with literal fire. Romans 6:23 says that
death is the wage of sin! It may be appropriate to note here that God is truth,
and He cannot lie, Heb. 6:18, and His Word is settled in Heaven forever,
Psalm 119:89.
If one would deny a literal hell, he must conclude that death is not the
penalty for sin, that man by nature is not spiritually dead, and that there is
no eternal punishment for those who die in their sins. He must thus declare that
God does tolerate sin, that He does not demand justice for sins, that there is
no consequence for disobedience, and, most serious, that God is lying! I am not
saying that those who deny a literal, eternal hell would accept these views, but
it would be would seen to be the logical conclusion.
Observe secondly that the denial of hell is a reflection on His
sovereignty. The sovereignty of God, as defined by the Puritan Confession of
Faith stated, "God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy
counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatever comes to
pass." Charles Ryrie states it simply "God is a Supreme Ruler" (Ryrie
Study Bible, KJV, p. 1963). This is clearly stated in Scripture. His
sovereignty is explained in 1 Chron. 29:11-12, "Thine, O LORD, is the
greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for
all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O
LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of
thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in
thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." Perhaps
Romans 9:18-23 explains the sovereignty of God and the doctrine of Hell the most
clearly: "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and
whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find
fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God? Shall the thing formed to say to him that formed it,
Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if
God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afore
prepared unto glory …" It is clear that some are fitted to dishonor and
destruction!
When mankind does not understand how God could allow somebody to be consigned
to eternal punishment, no matter what the reason, they are basically stating
that God cannot be God! Because they don't understand it, God would not or could
not do it.
2. A Denial of Hell is a Renouncement of the Cross
First of all, a denial of hell it detracts from Jesus' sufferings. As the
cross of Jesus Christ is observed, several important Theological truths become
evident. The cross provides justification, redemption, propitiation and
remission of sins possible for those who believe, cf. Rom. 3:24-26. Ask
yourself, "Why did Jesus go to Calvary?"
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they knew that they would
die, for God had warned them in Gen. 2:17, "But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." In Gen. 3, Adam and Eve ate the
forbidden fruit, and they experienced death! They died spiritually immediately,
for they recognized their sinful condition, and desired to hide from God. They
began to die physically, though it would take a process of time, " ... for
dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return," 3:19. Apart from
the sacrifice provided by the LORD, they would have remained separated from Him
forever! Rom. 6:23 tells us, "For the wages of sin is death ..." Man,
because of his sin, deserves complete death in each realm (physical, spiritual
and eternal).
Jesus Christ came as a sacrifice for mankind, Mark 10:45, John 1:29. In Heb.
2:9, the writer informs us that Jesus "tasted death for every man." He
experienced the death everybody deserves!
In what ways did He taste death? He certainly died physically. First Cor.
15:3 states that " … Christ died for our sins according to the scripture
…" Though there are many who deny His literal death, it can be easily
shown. For example, the Roman centurion and soldiers declared Him dead (Mark
15:44-45; John 19:33-34), the women came to anoint a dead body (Mark
16:1),
blood and water flowed from His side (John 19:34), and His disciples believed
that He was actually dead; therefore, His resurrection surprised them (Mt.
28:17; Luke 24:37-53; John 20:3-9). Thus, He experienced physical death the way
that all men will (except for those raptured), Heb. 9:27.
But in addition to the physical death, Jesus seems to have experienced
spiritual death as well. In Mt. 27:46, Matthew writes "And about the ninth
hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, la ma sabach-tha ni?
that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" It would seem
that the Father, Who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not
look on iniquity," Hab. 1:13, was in effect separating from the Son as the
sins of the entire world were placed on Him. Though this was not a separation of
Persons (there is only One God) there was a judicial separation between the
Father and the Son. Walvoord states, "Christ was being judicially forsaken
because He was bearing the sin of the world." (Walvoord, Jesus Christ
Our Lord,
p. 118). Thus, when Jesus "tasted death for every man," He
experienced it completely. If He would have remained separated from the Father,
He would have experienced eternal separation! However, that could not happen as
the Father accepted the sacrifice of His Son, cf. Heb. 5:7-8. But if one
states that there is no eternal separation for those who die in their sins, he
is renouncing the complete sacrifice for sin that Jesus Christ offered.
A denial of Hell also discounts His sacrifice, as it would mean that Jesus
was not required to "taste death for every man" because man's
spiritual death would not consummate in eternal death. What would be the
benefits to mankind which were made available through His sacrifice?
Did He deliver us from physical death? Ultimately, yes. Though as Christians
we may pass through the veil of death, we know that it is not permanent. At the
Rapture, we will be resurrected, and raised incorruptible and immortal, cf.
1 Cor. 15. Death is not permanent, but temporary. The seal of this is the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 15:55-57, Rom. 1:4.
Did He deliver us from spiritual death? Yes He did! When we trust in Jesus
Christ for salvation, we are regenerated, or born again. At birth, by nature and
our imputed sin, we are spiritually dead, Eph. 2:1. At salvation, we receive
spiritual life, whereby we are no longer separated from God spiritually. We are
spiritually alive and thus can know, love and obey God, which are things we
could not do before salvation. We receive spiritual life, which will consummate
in eternal life, which is fellowship with God and being in His presence forever,
Rev. 21-22.
The purpose of the gospel is centered on the removal of guilt and punishment
for our sins. The very term "salvation" comes from the word soteri,
which means "deliverance." What are we ultimately delivered from if it
is not eternal condemnation? In John 5:28-29 we see Jesus' teaching about the
"resurrection of damnation." The word "damnation" does not
mean annihilation, but judgment. If that judgment is not eternal, the value of
Jesus' sacrifice is discounted!
Some people have asked, "How can the few hours of Jesus' agony at
Calvary be compared to eternal punishment in hell?" This question has merit
and deserves consideration.
Time is of little importance in the spiritual realm. God is eternal, and
everything is one eternal now! In His sight, there is simply the unfolding of
His plan for the ages. Thus could Moses say "... from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God," Ps. 90:2. It is not the time frame that
counts with God, but the fact that His wrath was propitiated.
More important, the value of the sacrifice is of much greater significance
than time. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One Who could qualify as the
sacrifice. He, as the "only begotten son," John 3:16, and the One in
Whom "... dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col.
2:9,
has infinite value which would far surpass any other person or amount of time.
First Peter 1:18-19 states, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot."
To summarize, the quality of Jesus Christ surpasses quantity in any other
realm. The very King of Creation is the Redeemer of all who call upon Him for
salvation!
3. A Denial of Hell is a Refutation of God's
Word
The King James Version of the Scriptures uses the word "hell" for
three different Greek words. These need to be clarified.
First is the word tartaros. This word is translated hell only in 2
Peter 2:4, but it is actually a verb. The individuals referred to in this
passage are not those who have rejected Jesus Christ as Savior, but are angels
who had sinned and are now reserved for judgment. (Many believe these angels are
the "sons of God" cohabiting with women in Gen. 6). Tartaros is
not the hell we commonly think of in relation to unregenerate men.
The second word is Hades. This word is used ten times in the New
Testament by Matthew (11:23; 16:18), Luke (10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31) and John
(Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13-14). The clearest information we have about Hades
is found in Luke 16:19-31. Please read this passage before you continue.
I believe that Luke 16 is an actual, historical account of the two
individuals listed, not a story or parable. In this commentary, the Lord Jesus
describes the condition of the unsaved rich man in Hades. We find that he was in
torment, 16:23; he could recognize Abraham and Lazarus, 23; he could talk and
listen to them, 24; his pain was intense from the flame, 24; there was an
impassable gulf fixed between them, 26; he remembered his father and brothers,
and wanted them to come to salvation so they would not be required to join him,
27-28.
When Jesus Christ died and rose again, He took the godly out of Hades,
the place of Abraham's bosom, and ushered them into the Father's presence, cf.
Eph. 4:7-10. In Rom. 8:34, Jesus is said to be at the Father's right hand;
2 Cor.
5:8 teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord;
Phil. 1:23 says that departure from this life is to be with Christ which is far
better. Thus, the saints up to Jesus’ ascension are in His presence. However, Hades
still remains for the ungodly!
It is important to realize that Hades is not the final abode for the
unregenerate dead. Like tartaros, it is a temporary place of consignment
until the Day of Judgment at the Great White Throne.
The third word is Geenna. This word is used twelve times in the New
Testament by Matthew (5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33), Mark (9:43, 45,
47), Luke (12:5) and James (3:6).
A description of Geenna is revealing. Six of the references listed
refer to fire, and eleven of the twelve are the recorded words of Jesus Christ!
But where did the meaning of Geenna originate?
There is a valley located southeast of Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom,
cf. Josh. 15:18, 18:16; 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31-32;
19:1-6; 32:35. As you read these references, especially in Jeremiah, you learn
that the Valley of Hinnom was the place where the apostate nation Israel
sacrificed their children to the pagan god Molech, by burning them in the arms
of the idol.
After these abominations had ceased, the Jews used the valley to dispose of
dead criminals and animals, as well as their rubbish. To consume the valley's
contents, a fire burned continuously, which became known as the "Geenna
of Fire." To be in the Geenna of Fire would be excruciating, and the
torments of it unimaginable. The refuse would attract worms, much as a garbage
dump would today. The Lord Jesus explains this in Mark 9:42-50, "... Where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Thus, the Lord Jesus
used this well known cultural truth to teach about this horrible place of
eternal torment. Geenna also fits the description of the Lake of Fire
mentioned in Rev. 20:15, which is the final abode for the unbelieving dead.
Geenna is the place that would be ultimately denied as we discuss a
literal, eternal torment for the unsaved. But as we have seen, it describes a
literal place.
The Bible also teaches that there will be literal people going there! Rev.
20:13 speaks of "every man" being judged "according to their
works." This judgment is not to determine if they are saved, but to
establish their degree of punishment in Geenna. The residents there are
further described in Rev. 21:8 and 22:15.
There is also a literal eternity. The punishment is described in Dan. 12:2 as
"everlasting contempt," as "everlasting fire" in Matt.
25:41, as "everlasting punishment" in Matt. 25:46
as the "resurrection of damnation" in John 5:29 and as "the
second death" in Rev. 20:14.
It is important to notice that there is absolutely nothing in any of
the passages listed or the terms used which would indicate that hell is
imaginary, temporary or figurative. It is the exact opposite. Some declare that
the phrase "second death" means that the unsaved will at some point in
time be annihilated, but the terms used above indicate that it is eternal. In
addition, it can be demonstrated that it is eternal. In Rev. 19:20, we find the
beast and false prophet are the first residents to be cast into the Lake of
Fire. In Rev. 20:10, after a period of one thousand years, the devil is also
cast into the lake of Fire "where the beast and false prophet are, and
shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." If these terms
cannot be taken literally at face value, can we accept these terms as they
relate to eternal life, or our eternal fellowship in heaven?
There are other issues that relate to this denial of hell, such as the
immortality of man, the
effects of the Gospel, the inspiration and credibility of Scripture, ... We
must choose whether we will accept the claims of modern evangelical opinion or
the clear teachings of the Word of God.
There is a means to escape the eternal condemnation that all men deserve. You
can believe that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, died on the cross for your
sins, that He rose again, and now offers His sacrifice to you as a gift which
needs to be received by faith. If you have not trusted Jesus Christ as Savior,
you can pray the following prayer. "Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a
sinner, and cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus Christ, Your Son, died on
the cross for my sins, and that He rose again. I would like to have my sins
forgiven through Him, and want Him to be my Savior. I commit this to you now in
Jesus' Name, amen."
If you truly meant what you have just prayed, you can rejoice that you are a
child of God, and will not have to face eternal condemnation. That is God's
promise to you! Jesus said "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life," John 5:24.
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers,
and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death," Rev. 21:8. The Lake of Fire is literal, it is real, and it is
eternal!
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