I am going to speak to you today about this very real place that exists, and why you do not want to go to it. I am not going to mince my words so as not to scare or frighten you. I hope you get scared and even tremble at just the thought of such a place actually existing. This is what God says about hell in His Word, the Bible.
Hell is actually the stopping-off place or temporary abode before those in it are brought up before God to be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. Then, those souls will be cast into the “Lake of Fire” which is far worse, for all eternity. These souls that are headed there are eternally lost because they rejected God’s Son, Jesus Christ. If you reject Jesus as Lord, and want nothing to do with Him, that’s where you are heading.
By The Way, the lake of fire was created for Satan (the devil) and his angels, not man. God gives all men a way to escape this horrible place that we can’t really describe (2 Peter 3:9).
When a person dies, the body goes to the grave and the soul goes to torment in Gehenna (Hebrew) or Hades (Greek). That person suffers in agony with physical and emotional pain. Read these Scriptures from the book of Luke in which Jesus himself gives an account of this horrible reality (Luke 16:19-31).
Here is a dramatic video I want you to watch. The Bible teacher has passed, but he has a lot of YouTube videos on many teachings. Dr. Peter Ruckman was an amazing man of God.
Peter Ruckman – Tells the truth about heaven and hell – YouTube
Here are a few scriptural references:
Job 26:6 “Hell is naked before him, and destruction has no covering.”
2 Samuel 22:6-7 “The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.”
Now is a great time to look at verse 7 again. David is crying out to God here. This is your time to cry out to Jesus to save you from your sins and give you eternal life right now. You are guaranteed to escape hell, and gain heaven. It’s a spiritual decision from your heart; you can’t work for your salvation; it’s a gift from God (Romans 6:23). You will belong to God.
2 Peter 2:4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment…”
Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
This “book of life” is kept in heaven with all the names of every person in it. A name is removed and not found when it is opened if a person has grown to the age of accountability to understand who God is, and has denied and/or rejected Christ. When the souls come up from hell for the final judgment before God, that book will be opened, and their names will not be found. Imagine all the anguish and crying for mercy to God to forgive them.
The believers in Christ will be judged at the “Bema Judgment” in heaven, but for their good works they did for Christ while being here on earth. They were given gifts and talents to please Him in ministries, helping and serving people during their life.
I don’t think there are words for this that we can imagine seeing this judgment scene played out. There will be utter terror and agony at this time, and it will be too late to stop, with no recourse. No one will be able to help or speak up for that person. That person is alone in front of God and His throne with all the Heavenly Hosts. At some point, Jesus will say, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” He didn’t know you because you didn’t know Him or have a relationship with Him. You made that choice; God only gives a person so many opportunities to come to him; and after a while, He gives them up to their own free will.
The Holy Spirit draws all men, so a person can’t say God didn’t give me a chance to draw me to himself. Sorry, but the answer is: yes, He does. John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” He gave us free will to choose our own path in this life.
You the reader, if you do not know Christ, you have the opportunity to not be in this group. You can have salvation now in Jesus right where you are. Ask Him to come into your heart and life now, acknowledging and believing in Him right where you are. Remember, this comes from the heart, not the mind. There are a lot of people going to hell every day because they “know of Jesus, but don’t know him.” There is a Heaven and hell difference right there in that little statement. Which one will you claim?
Side note: For you Christians or believers that claim God will not allow anyone to go to hell or just can’t believe such a loving God could possibly do that, you’re misled and either don’t know the Scriptures or don’t believe them. That’s dangerous. Our God is a merciful and loving God, yes, but He is a righteous God. That means judgment.
Jesus came in all humility and went to the Cross as a lamb to the slaughter to pay for our sins. But He is coming back as Judge to take vengeance upon all His enemies and set up His Millennial Kingdom in Jerusalem, where He will reign. Jesus is finally going to gloriously defeat death, hell, and the grave. Then we go into eternity with Him. The Bible doesn’t reveal to us what that will be like.
Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him that was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING of KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Folks, this is my King, my Lord and Judge, who will do what He says here; and no one can thwart that. What is written in the Scripture is His Word, and that will be accomplished. Jesus is Judge in all Righteousness, because He alone is Righteous.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Amen.
Blessings to you,
Clay Smith
All scripture is from the Authorized King James Version.
All emphasis other than Scripture is mine.