WARNING- HELL IS FOR REAL AND MANY ARE HEADING THERE

Hell- A Most Terrible Place of Endless Torment Forever

Jesus asked ‘FOR WHAT IS A MAN PROFITED, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL? OR WHAT SHALL A MAN GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?’ Mt16:26. It is horrible when one loses his soul and perishes in Hell. HELL IS FOR REAL AND SADLY, MANY ARE HEADING THERE! 

Jesus said ‘ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE: FOR WIDE IS THE GATE, AND BROAD IS THE WAY, THAT LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN THEREAT’ Mt7:13. Jesus came to earth, to die for our sins and to save us from Hell! Hell is a place where souls are damned forever. Hell is where people who died in their sins will spend eternity, in anguish, torment, fear, pain, regret, remorse, without hope and they will never be able to leave there.

The subject of HELL can be found in many ancient civilizations throughout the world. There is a commonality in many cultures regarding Hell. Most agree that Hell is a place of extreme suffering where bad and evil people go- a place of anguish, punishment, gloom and doom, despair, and no escape! Whether in China, India, Egypt, Europe, or in the Americas, people have captured similar concepts of Hell in their art expressions, in their ancient writings, and legends. 

China, the oldest standing civilization, has much written about Hell and its depiction in artwork. The Chinese believed in 10 kingdoms ruled by 10 kings, in charge of the torments therein. Their temples are filled with fearsome looking and grotesque idols, and depicting devils and gargoyles on their rooftops. In Dante’s Inferno, Hell is described as 9 circles of progressive sufferings located within the deep bowels of the earth. 

What does the Bible say about Hell? Who was Hell created for and who will be going there? All of us have a unique soul that makes us different from the rest of the billions people that ever lived. Our soul is the ‘real you’consisting of our personality, our likes and dislikes, our hopes and fears, and our greed, lust, and vanity, that makes us all who we are and also different from everyone else. Our soul never dies! What will happen to our soul that lives only temporarily in our aging physical body that one day will die? Where will our soul spend eternity, like for the next 100, 1000, or 1,000,000 years- in Heaven or in Hell? Our final destination depends upon our spiritual state upon death, whether we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour or not. Either Heaven or Hell, one or the other, will be our final destiny. We will examine the subject of Hell and what the Word of God says about Hell and eternal damnation! 

Characteristics of Hell- According to the Bible       

Hell is a place of everlasting suffering and torment; of great pain and of sorrow; of punishment, of great regrets, and of weeping and gnashing of teeth Mt24:31,25:30. Hell is for real. It is place somewhere ‘in the nether parts of the earth’ Ez31:16; in the lower parts of the earth Ps63:9, the heart of the earth Mt12:40, the abyss, the bottomless pit, where there is a king, the Beast resides Re9:11,11:7. Hell is a place of unquenchable fire, where the soul, the spirit, and the body are in full consciousness, where people recognize and converse with each other; where fallen angels aka devils or demons 2Pe2:4 are doing the tormenting, and delight in the demise of people. The smell of sulfur aka brimstone Lk17:9, Re14:10, 19:20, and the stench therein pervades Hell, wretched and stifling Ps16:10; where the worm (maggots) does not die and the fire not quenched Mk9:43,46,48. 

Hell also has different levels; ‘lowest hell’ Ps86:13; ‘greater damnation’ Mt23:14. Hell is described as a place of outer darkness Mt22:13, a holding place for the fallen and chained angels, reserved for the final judgment one day 2Pe2:4, Jude6. Hell is also the abode of the wicked, unregenerated people, those not ‘BORN AGAIN’ spiritually Jn3:3,5, not cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ Heb9:22.

Luke, the Gospel writer, tells the story of the rich man in Hell, and what it is like to be there, in torment, in flame, hot, and thirsty Lk16:19-31. It was so terrible there that the rich man begged Abraham to send someone to warn his five living brothers not to come to ‘this place of torment’ v28. Those in Hell desperately seek another chance, but it is too late! Jesus’ express purpose for coming to earth was to save us from Hell; that by dying on the cross for us and believing in Him, we should not perish but have everlasting life Jn3:16,17.Hell is a temporary place, for one day both Death and Hell will be ‘cast into the Lake of Fire’ Re20:14, where the beast, the false prophet, Satan, and all unbelievers will go. They ‘shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever’ Re20:10,15. The Bible also speaks of hands, feet, teeth, eyes, and tongues of people in Hell, and worms devouring them.

God Originally Created Hell For the Fallen Angels           

The Bible states Hell was originally created for the fallen angels led by Satan aka Lucifer Is14:12,16 who rebelled against Almighty God in heaven and were ‘cast out into the earth‘ Re12:9. It states ‘For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly..’ 2Pe2:4-5. Jude 6 is similar: ‘And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day’.

It is interesting to note that NOT all fallen angels, aka demons/devils, are in Hell yet. In his ministry,  Jesus ‘cast out devils’ from many people Mt10:8, Mk1:34, Lk9:49. Thus, many devils are still roaming the earth working with Satan. The apostle Peter wrote ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour’ 1Pe5:8.

God created Hell for the devil, the fallen angels, and then for sinners Ez18:4! We see that sin first originated in heaven Is14:12, before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden; that the angels were cast out into the earth down to Hell in chains of darkness awaiting a worst fate in the final day of judgment; that the millions also perished during the great flood are still there in Hell. As they did not heed Noah’s warning, God is warning us today that terrible judgment is also coming upon the earth. Jesus told his disciples ‘.. fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell’ Mt20:28. When Jesus returns, He will say to the unrighteous ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels’ Mt25:41.

Jesus Came to Save Us From Hell- One Must Be BORN AGAIN Spiritually

Only those who are BORN AGAIN spiritually will go to heaven. If not, they will perish in Hell. Ro5:8 tells ‘.. God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’. Ro5:12 states that sin and death came to the world by Adam and they were passed on to all of mankind. Jesus Christ paid the price by dying for our sins to save us from Hell which is the consequence of our sins. The Bible states ‘.. Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure..’ Is5:14. Jesus told Nicodemus about the BORN AGAIN experience. He said ‘Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God.. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be BORN AGAIN’ Jn3:3,5,7.

We must be BORN AGAIN in order to see and to enter into the kingdom of God, and to escape eternal damnation. Jesus said ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not PERISH, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved’ Jn3:16,17. God does not want anyone to PERISH IN HELL, but all to be with Him in heaven. Jesus said ‘I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME’ Jn14:6. Thus, the only way to escape Hell is by believing in Jesus Christ. This is what the Great Commission is all about- to warn others about Hell.  Jesus said ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned’ Mk16:16.

The Holy Bible Lists Who Will End Up in Hell

The existence of Hell today is either denied, trivialized, or transformed into a fun event. Many youth, having feelings of invincibility and immortality, often ignore or deny the subject of Hell. Every October 31, Halloween day revelers spend big money to buy hideous masks and costumes of devils and demons, do tricks or treats, to celebrate and glorify Satan. In America, it is all a big  joke and a big event rivaling even Christmas. Many rock concerts serve to worship the devil. Many pastors and churches avoid speaking about Satan and of Hell and damnation, and thus, offer no salvation to their members. The pastors themselves are not saved and BORN AGAIN. But the Bible states Hell is real and many are heading there Is5:14, Mt7:13! 

Here, the Bible describes who will NOT inherit the kingdom of God, and therefore end up in Hell and into the Lake of Fire. The apostle Paul wrote ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.. they which do such things SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD’ Ga5:19,21. Paul repeated ‘Know ye not that the UNRIGHTEOUS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD’? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God’ 1Co6:9,10. The Bible states un-forgiveness will also doom one to Hell! Jesus said ‘..if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses’ Mt6:12, Mk11:26. 

The apostle John added ‘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..’ Re21:8. Also, anyone taking the Mark of the Beast during the Great Tribulation shall be cast into Hell. Re14:10,11 state ‘..The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name’. But sadly, many will be deceived to take the Mark of the Beast in the Endtimes!

High on the list of sins for those heading for Hell are sexual sins and immorality that are now sweeping the world. This includes same-sex marriages that the US Supreme Court recently declared as legal. Paul wrote expressly against the sin of Homosexuality calling it vile affections.. without natural affection. He said ‘For this cause GOD gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly.. without natural affection..’ Ro1:26,27,31. Other sins not specifically mentioned but under uncleanness and lasciviousness are sodomy, pedophilia, pornography, and bestiality; and under murders, abortion. 

However, if one REPENTS of his sins, seeks forgiveness from God, turns from his wicked ways, and accepts  Jesus Christ as his Saviour, he shall be saved. REPENTANCE is necessary for SALVATION. 2Co7:10 states ‘For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation..’. Ro10:13 states ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’.

Purgatory- a False Doctrine Not Found in the Holy Bible   

Purgatory is a fabricated unbiblical doctrine- a place where people are purged and cleansed before they can go to Heaven. According to the Bible, there are only two places for departed souls, either HEAVEN OR HELL. Purgatory is not found anywhere in the Bible. It is a false doctrine created by the medieval Roman Catholic Church in Europe to subjugate the ignorant masses in fear, and to enrich themselves through the sale of Indulgences– the paying of a priest to pray for the departed dead. The spin is that since no one is ever holy and good enough to go to heaven directly, one can obtain Indulgences from the church, who will pray for the departed souls in Purgatory undergoing purification, to lessen their time of punishment there. The priest through some mystical powers would make intercession for the departed soul, and thereby lessen one’s time in Purgatory.

Because many don’t know what the Bible says about SALVATION and HELL, and believe that they are never good enough to go directly to HEAVEN, they accept the false doctrines of Purgatory and Indulgences as gospel truth. But how can any priest forgive sins when he himself is a sinner? For many years now, the media has been rife with news of widespread pedophilia, homosexuality, and pornography among ministers, priests, and pastors. A case in point, the Catholic Church in America alone has paid out over $3 billion in child sex abuse settlements over the past decades. There are other false doctrines regarding Hell as being a temporary place, or a belief in reincarnation of a departed person into another form, or that Hell does not even exist.

Enter Pastor Rob Bell-‘Love Wins’; What the Hell?

In 2011, Rob Bell, a popular pastor wrote a bestseller called ‘Love Wins: A Book About Heaven and Hell’. Bell, the former pastor of the mega 10,000 member Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan stated there is no Hell, or at least that Hell is just a temporary place, until everyone is fully redeemed and is reunited with God in heaven. Though Bell believes in the redemptive work of Jesus at Calvary, for those outside of the church, those who never accepted Christ would eventually be saved because God is love and would never allow anyone to remain in Hell. Bell believes in ‘universalism’, stating God’s love is universal and never fails. Bell contends that the prospect of a place of eternal torment seems irreconcilable with the nature of God’s love. What Pastor Rob Bell teaches is false, and grossly contrary to the Word of God. If Bell is correct, then Jesus died in vain for our sins. The world would not need a saviour and all would eventually go to Heaven anyway, because no sin could ever keep us out of Heaven.

Bell’s message is a very popular one for those who do not know or believe in the Bible. His message gives people justification to live any way they want; that there is no consequence for sin since there is no Hell. As the sign of His coming, Jesus warned that in the last days, there shall be many false prophets and false teachers Mt24:4,5,11,24. Except Bell repents, he and all those who believe in his teachings will likewise perish Lk13:3,5. But Bell will take many souls to Hell with him, for his is the ‘doctrine of devils’ 1Ti4:1. The only way to God and to heaven is through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour Jn14:6, Ac2:21,16:31, Ro10:13, Php3:20.

Only By Preaching the Cross Are Men Saved From Hell and Eternal Damnation

Paul said that it is only by the preaching of the cross are men saved 1Co1:18. When was the last time that you heard a message on how to be saved from HELL? When was the last time you heard a pastor tell the people they need to repent of their sins, and give an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour? Have you personally accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? Are you BORN AGAIN and have the assurance of going to Heaven? Do you believe that salvation is a very important matter? Do you know how to be saved? Are you also praying for your lost loved ones that they may be saved? Are you actively witnessing Jesus Christ to others, thereby obeying the Great Commission Mk16:15? 

Do you know how to lead someone to Jesus Christ in a sinner’s prayer? Many churchgoers WRONGFULLY believe that by going to church, it will save them, or because they are in church they are saved. This is very far from the truth of the Bible! It is also conceivable that many people attending church today MANY ARE NOT SAVED! They may have never heard the Gospel of Salvation in church, repented and accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour, or they may have fallen back into sin. Paul said ‘For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that BELIEVETH..’ Ro1:16. Paul wrote ‘FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.. and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?’ Ro10:13,14. 

The Bible states that Satan, the devil, was a murderer from the beginning, and the father of lies Jn8:44. His job is ‘to steal, and to kill, and to destroy’ Jn10:10. Satan wants to take as many people he can to Hell, to steal their salvation, to kill their bodies, and to destroy their souls. But Jesus already made a way for us to go to heaven by dying on the cross for our sins. The Bible clearly states how one can be forgiven and be cleansed  of all unrighteousness: ‘If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ 1Jn1:9. 

The Sinner’s Prayer of Repentance- Repent or Perish

HELL IS FOR REAL AND SADLY, MANY MILLIONS ARE HEADING THERE! But it is not necessary for anyone to perish in Hell and be cast into the LAKE OF FIRE. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and accept Him as your personal Saviour, YOU CAN BE SAVED and go to Heaven one day to your eternal blessing. Here is a simple prayer of REPENTANCE to SALVATION which you can humbly pray to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, or to recommit your life to Him again:

DEAR JESUS,  

I AM A LOST SINNER AND I REPENT OF MY SINS. I’M SORRY FOR MY SINS AND ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.  I ASK THAT YOU COME INTO MY HEART RIGHT NOW AND CLEANSE ME IN YOUR PRECIOUS BLOOD.  I ACCEPT YOU AS MY LORD AND MY SAVIOUR. THANK YOU FOR DYING ON THE CROSS FOR ME AND THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY SOUL!  

IN JESUS NAME I PRAY, AMEN!