- “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment …” (2 Peter 2:4)
- “Let death seize them; let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.” (Psalm 55:15)
- “Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death.”(Proverbs 7:27)
- “They do not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who go down to hell with their weapons of war; they have laid their swords under their heads but their iniquities will be on their bones, because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.” (Ezekiel 32:27)
- “Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself and opened its mouth beyond measure; their glory and their multitude and their pomp, and he who is jubilant, shall descend into it. People shall be brought down, each man humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.” (Isaiah 5:14-15)
- “… then I will bring you down with those who descend into the Pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lowest part of the earth, in places desolate from antiquity, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you may never be inhabited; and I shall establish glory in the land of the living. ‘I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; though you are sought for, you will never be found again,’ says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 26:20-21)
- “But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive in to the pit, then you will understand that these men rejected the Lord. Then it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up … So they and all those with them went down alive in the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the congregation.” (Numbers 16:30-33)
- “Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isaiah 14:15)
- “For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.” (Isaiah 38:18)
- “… Deliver him from going down to the Pit … He will redeem his soul from going dow to the Pit, and his life shall see the light.” (Job 33:24,28)
- “Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit…” (Proverbs 1:12)
- “But those who seek my life, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.” (Psalm 63:9)
Notice how many times in these verses that people are literally being cast down into hell.
Once again, here are some of these key words put one right after another in a bolded bullet point format so you can see these major clues very clearly from these specific verses.
- cast them down to hell
- go down alive into hell
- descending to the chambers of death
- shall descend into it
- descend into the Pit
- those who go down to the pit
- they go down alive into the pit
- going down to the pit
- shall go into the lowest parts of the earth
The very last verse from Psalm 63:9 is a major one, as it is literally telling us that those who are going into hell are literally going into the “lowest parts of the earth.”
(1) Everyone will exist eternally either in heaven or hell (Daniel 12:2,3; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28; Revelation 20:14,15).
(2) Everyone has only one life in which to determine their destiny (Hebrews 9:27).
(3) Heaven or hell is determined by whether a person believes (puts their trust) in Christ alone to save them (John 3:16, 36, etc.).
Key Passages About Hell
(1) Hell was designed originally for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
(2) Hell will also punish the sin of those who reject Christ (Matthew 13:41,50; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).
(3) Hell is conscious torment.
- Matthew 13:50 “furnace of fire…weeping and gnashing of teeth”
- Mark 9:48 “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”
- Revelation 14:10 “he will be tormented with fire and brimstone”
(4) Hell is eternal and irreversible.
- Revelation 14:11 “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day and night”
- Revelation 20:14 “This is the second death, the lake of fire”
- Revelation 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”
Erroneous Views of Hell
(1) The second chance view – After death there is still a way to escape hell.
Answer: “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
(2) Universalism – All are eternally saved.
Answer: It denies the truth of salvation through Christ which means that a person decides to either trust in Christ or else he/she rejects Christ and goes to hell (John 3:16;3:36).
(3) Annihilationism – Hell means a person dies like an animal – ceases to exist.
Answer: It denies the resurrection of the unsaved (John 5:28, etc. – see above). It denies conscious torment (see above).
Objections to the Biblical View of Hell
(1) A loving God would not send people to a horrible hell.
Response: God is just (Romans 2:11).
- God has provided the way of salvation to all (John 3:16,17; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15; 1 Timothy 2:6; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9).
- Even those who haven’t heard of Christ are accountable for God’s revelation in nature (Romans 1:20). God will seek those who seek Him (Matthew 7:7; Luke 19:10).
- Therefore God doesn’t send people to hell, they choose it (Romans 1:18,21,25).
(2) Hell is too severe a punishment for man’s sin.
Response: God is holy-perfect (1 Peter 1:14,15).
- Sin is willful opposition to God our creator (Romans 1:18-32).
- Our sin does merit hell (Romans 1:32; 2:2,5,6).
- What is unfair and amazing is that Christ died for our sin and freely offers salvation to all (Romans 2:4; 3:22-24; 4:7,8; 5:8,9).
Biblical Terms Describing Where the Dead Are
- Sheol - a Hebrew term simply describing “the grave” or “death” – Does not refer to “hell” specifically
- Hades - A Greek term that usually refers to hell – a place of torment (Luke 10:15; 16:23, etc.)
- Gehenna - A Greek term (borrowed from a literal burning dump near Jerusalem) that always refers to hell – a place of torment (Matthew 5:30; 23:33)
- “Lake of fire”- the final abode of unbelievers after they are resurrected (Revelation 20:14,15)
- “Abraham’s bosom” - (Luke 16:22) a place of eternal comfort
- “Paradise” - (Luke 23:43) a place of eternal comfort
- “With the Lord” - a key phrase describes where church age believers are after death (Philippians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Corinthians 5:8)
- “New heavens and earth” – where believers will be after they are resurrected (Revelation 20:4-6; 21:1-4)
The Bible actually talks about three heavens. The first heaven is where the birds fly and the clouds reside. The second heaven is where the sun, the moon, and the stars abide. But the third heaven is where the very throne of God resides and where Jesus presently sits at the right hand of the Father. Heaven is a real place and there are angels there who all day, and all night, 24/7 declare, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory“(Isaiah 6:3). When Isaiah got a glimpse of heaven, he fell to the ground and felt that he would be struck dead. In Isaiah 6:1-5 he reveals an amazing look that he had at the throne of heaven, “I saw the Lord. high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ,“holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
These amazing Holy Angels praise God without ceasing. In Revelation we see that, “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come“ (Rev 4:8). Heaven is very real or the Bible is wrong, which we know that it is not.
Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/where-is-heaven-where-is-hell-what-does-the-bible-say/#ixzz7qrSWjrbHThe New Jerusalem
Is it true that heaven will come down to earth? Again, remember that heaven is any place that God is present. That’s what makes heaven, heaven. And God’s presence must be heaven anywhere that He is. In Revelation 21:1-7 we read about this New Jerusalem:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
Here we read that the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven and this is the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus spoke of. Jesus said that “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). Jesus said that heaven was as a place and that He would come back to take us with Him to be where He is. So heaven is a real place and that place is where we will be and where Jesus will be with us. At least it will be for those who have placed their trust in Him.
Further, “It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev 21:12-14). So this New Jerusalem has walls, gates, and it is called a city. This is no cloud floating, harp playing place, but an actual, literal location with real, tangible things in it.
And heaven is huge! How big? This “city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement” (Rev 21:16-17). This is an immense city that Bible scholar’s estimate will span about 1,400 miles wide, 1,400 miles long and 1,400 miles high. The square footage is in the billions! This city has foundations, walls, gates, streets, and a temple but the temple is God Himself (Rev 21:22).
Where is Hell?
In the first place, hell is separation from God and for all time. That in itself makes it hell. Since God is light and the absence of God is darkness, then hell must be more than just a mental state of mind and it must be a place of utter darkness as Jesus said that it will be a place of “outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 8:12). The absence of God is the absence of light and the weeping will be tears of regret for eternity for not having believed in Jesus. The gnashing of teeth will be anger for being in hell as the religious leaders often gnashed there teeth in anger over Jesus. To Lazarus, heaven was very real just as the rich man knew that hell was a literal place. In the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man, Jesus spoke about hell being a place where no one could escape from. The story is recorded in Luke 16:19-31:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So 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.’ “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. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, father Abraham, ’he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “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.’”
We note that it is a place of unending torment, that the rich man couldn’t return to warn others in his family, that “those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us”, so that the rich man could not cross over to Lazarus nor could Lazarus cross over to where the rich man was, that the rich man was thirsty; this means that he had his senses all in tact. He knew about his unsaved family, he was in torment from flames, he could not quench his unquenchable thirst, and that his lost family only had the Bible to know how to be saved (Moses and the prophets). There is no mistaking that this place was quite real to the rich man. The rich man didn’t go to hell because he was rich or because he didn’t take care of the beggar Lazarus, but that he didn’t believe “Moses and the prophets” or the message of salvation found in the Bible.
We really don’t know exactly where hell is but we do know that it is a real place and a place of unending torment. Does it really matter where it is since we know that it is a place? You
Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/where-is-heaven-where-is-hell-what-does-the-bible-say/#ixzz7qrUIcD54Does it really matter where it is since we know that it is a place? You will notice that the rich man was by himself too. It is not like you see pictured where the Devil is poking people with a pitchfork or where there will be others gathered together with each other but it will be utter aloneness. It will be sheer torment – both physical and mental – as you remember that the rich man had all of his memories still active of his family and of Lazarus. Those who will be in hell will live with eternal regret that they failed to trust in Jesus, that they ignored all of those who tried to share their faith with them, and they will be forever separated from God with no second chance. Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven. Thirteen percent of all of Jesus’ sayings were about a hell fire.
Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/where-is-heaven-where-is-hell-what-does-the-bible-say/#ixzz7qrUNRkVEWhen describing the direction of Hell, the Bible says this:
(Mt 12:40) “So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”
(Eph 4:9) “(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” (Also see: Ps 63:9)
(Amos 9:2) “Though they dig into hell”
(Isa 14:9) “Hell from beneath” (Also see: Prov 15:24)
(Isa 14:15) “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
(Ezek 31:16) “I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit”
(Ezek 31:17) “They also went down into hell with him” (Also see: Ezek 32:27)
(2 Pet 2:4) For God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell”
(Rev 5:3) “Under the earth”These two things can certainly describe the “center of the earth.” The Earth is made up of four layers: crust, mantle, outer core, inner core. The inner core is made of solid metal, the outer core of liquid metal. It is estimated that temperatures there are between 7000 – 9000 degrees Fahrenheit. That certainly fits a Biblical description. Obviously, the descriptions of the direction fit too (it is app. 3959 miles to the center of the Earth).
To me, the most intriguing place in the Bible in regards to this is found in (Num 16:30-33)(NASB) “But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.” (31) As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; (32) and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. (33) So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.”
Question:
Where is the heart of the the earth? Is it hell?
Answer:
Deuteronomy 32:22 says, “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and SHALL BURN UNTO THE LOWEST HELL, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.” Psalm 86:12, 13 says, “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and THOU HAST DELIVERED MY SOUL FROM THE LOWEST HELL.” While it is possible that hell is some place else that is down, it is also very possible that hell is in the center of the earth.
The interior of the earth fits the description of hell, because it is HOT there. Luke 16:22-24 says, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and COOL MY TONGUE; FOR I AM TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME.” Jude 7 says, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, SUFFERING THE VENGEANCE OF ETERNAL FIRE.”
The interior of the earth fits the description of hell, because it is DARK there. Jude 12, 13 says, “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved THE BLACKNESS OF DARKNESS FOR EVER.” Jude 6 says, “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.” 2 Peter 2:4 says, “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;” 2 Peter 2:12-17 says, “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; TO WHOM THE MIST OF DARKNESS IS RESERVED FOR EVER.”
The interior of the earth fits the description of hell, because it is described as a LAKE (the earth being a molten lake of lava, fits perfectly with the hot, dark, lake of fire). Revelation 19:20 says, “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were CAST ALIVE INTO A LAKE OF FIRE BURNING WITH BRIMSTONE.” Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil that deceived them was CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:14, 15 says, “And death and hell were CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.”
An interesting verse is Isaiah 5:14, which says, “Therefore HELL HATH ENLARGED HERSELF, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” Among scientists, there is much discussion as to whether the earth is expanding. Some say that in the oceans, new volcanic material keeps being added along faults in the crust, expanding it little by little. I am not a scientist, and realize that much of what is called science, is not true at all. 1 Timothy 6:20, 21 says, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and OPPOSITIONS OF SCIENCE FALSELY SO CALLED: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.”
The Bible says that hell is enlarging herself. That is a fact. The Bible speaks of hell as being down, and of heaven as being up. That is a fact. The center of the earth has the characteristics of hell: darkness, heat, fire, etc. God might be using the center of the earth for hell right now. Job 28:5 says, “As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and UNDER IT IS TURNED UP AS IT WERE FIRE.”
What is also interesting, is that just before the Lord destroys this old earth and makes a new one, He is going to resurrect everyone out of hell, and then cast them into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-21:1 says, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and DEATH AND HELL DELIVERED UP THE DEAD WHICH WERE IN THEM: and they were judged every man according to their works. And DEATH AND HELL WERE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
It is an interesting question, but exactly where hell is should not be consuming our time. The fact is that there is a real place called hell, and the fact is that many people are going there — the majority of people. Matthew 7:13, 14 says, “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: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto LIFE, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT.” May the Lord help us to reach others with the gospel, lest they go to hell.
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