One of the clearest teachings on "hell" is found in Luke16:19-31:
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,c where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Jesus taught that punishment after this life is real,& our souls go to a real place.There will be many who will bring up the fact that Jesus was talking about an old testament concept of "sheol" (hades in the Greek) & this can mean simply "the grave",but look at what Jesus actually says happens.There are other judgments coming,2 in particular are the great white throne where the lost are judged by their works,& a judgement of the saints by Jesus,where the works themselves will be judged.In the sheep & goats judgement,Jesus says this in Matthew 25:
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Notice the word eternal.Look at what is written in Isaiah 66:
22“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD. 24“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.
Where it says "dead bodies" in verse 24,it is speaking of bodies only,but the phrase "where the worm never dies" is referring to a consciousness & a conscience that is fully aware of it's suffering.Eternal consciousness of suffering in hell for the unbeliever is quite well documented in scripture,& these are but a few references.
Notice where it says in Matthew 25:41 "prepared for the devil & his angels"?What that is saying is that salvation has been made available to all mankind,& all who will be saved will hear the gospel.The eternal fire was never prepared for mankind,but most will choose just that.
They who have heard the gospel & refused it will be the ones who will be in the most torment.Look at what is said in Luke 12:
46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
So if you have heard the gospel,please come to Christ today.Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 5:11 :
"Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience."
As for what hell will be like,imagine having no air,no water,no food,no shield from the environment,no input from any of your senses.This is part of what it will be like to be eternally separated from God.That is what hell is.Eternal separation from God.If you do not want God in this life,you will not be able to change your mind in the next.I know that this is an extremely dark topic,& I can say that I wish that people did not choose separation from God.Please,don't be one of them.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,c where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Jesus taught that punishment after this life is real,& our souls go to a real place.There will be many who will bring up the fact that Jesus was talking about an old testament concept of "sheol" (hades in the Greek) & this can mean simply "the grave",but look at what Jesus actually says happens.There are other judgments coming,2 in particular are the great white throne where the lost are judged by their works,& a judgement of the saints by Jesus,where the works themselves will be judged.In the sheep & goats judgement,Jesus says this in Matthew 25:
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Notice the word eternal.Look at what is written in Isaiah 66:
22“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD. 24“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.
Where it says "dead bodies" in verse 24,it is speaking of bodies only,but the phrase "where the worm never dies" is referring to a consciousness & a conscience that is fully aware of it's suffering.Eternal consciousness of suffering in hell for the unbeliever is quite well documented in scripture,& these are but a few references.
Notice where it says in Matthew 25:41 "prepared for the devil & his angels"?What that is saying is that salvation has been made available to all mankind,& all who will be saved will hear the gospel.The eternal fire was never prepared for mankind,but most will choose just that.
They who have heard the gospel & refused it will be the ones who will be in the most torment.Look at what is said in Luke 12:
46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
So if you have heard the gospel,please come to Christ today.Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 5:11 :
"Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience."
As for what hell will be like,imagine having no air,no water,no food,no shield from the environment,no input from any of your senses.This is part of what it will be like to be eternally separated from God.That is what hell is.Eternal separation from God.If you do not want God in this life,you will not be able to change your mind in the next.I know that this is an extremely dark topic,& I can say that I wish that people did not choose separation from God.Please,don't be one of them.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
