06.19. Nobody Wants to Go to Hell

Nobody Wants to Go to Hell

Luke 16:19-31

This past week there was a lot of hoopla over the fact that it was the 6^th day of the 6^th month of the year 06, or 6/6/6. A news reports were based out of a little town in Michigan called Hell. They had a blessing of marriages at 6:00 on 6/6/6. Many times the word Hell has been relegated to nothing more than a swear word. But is it real? We talked a few weeks ago about everybody wanting to go to heaven. I know we can safety say that rightly understood nobody wants to go to hell. No one in their right mind at least. If heaven is a prepared place for prepared people, hell is a prepared place for the unprepared. Hell is a doctrine of the Bible that has been pointed to and misunderstood by man throughout history. Unbelievers have denied it and weak believers have questioned it. Satan has attacked it with atheistic rationalism which says there is no God and cannot be a hell. Atheistic ridicule is another tactic of Satan which says hell is ridicules and unfounded. Religion has done it’s part to muddy the water of understanding also. Jehovah Witness teaches there will an annihilation of the soul and no eternal hell. The Mormons teach there are three levels of future life but hell is not eternal and that all will ultimately be saved out of it. Catholics teach there is a purgatory where you can escape hell and gain heaven from after death. A second chance for the soul. The liberal thought is God is a God of such love that hell is not possible. Regardless of these teaching and doubts the bible teaches a literal place called hell.

I- Biblical Background of Hell:

    There are two biblical words we need to understand to grasp the scriptures teaching on hell. Revelation 20:11-15 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. ¹²And 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. ¹³And 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. ¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

    Revelation 20:11-15 teaches us of a resurrection of the dead from "Hell" (Greek Hades) in the heart of the earth to appear at the great white throne judgment throne. "Hades" is the biblical word that is translated as hell which is the place where the lost dead abide awaiting this resurrection and judgment. "Gehenna" is the word for the eternal hell. The place in our text that the rich man lifted up his eyes is "hades." Gehenna is found 12 times in the NT and 11 of these are used by Christ. We need to understand this word to understand the eternal hell that Gehenna is a picture of.

In the days of the Old Testament a wicked King named Ahaz followed the devil worship of Molech, and actually sacrificed his own children to this pagan god. (See 2 Chronicles 28:1-4 ; 2 Kings 23:10 ; Jeremiah 7:31-33 ) This sacrifice took place in a deep and narrow valley to the south of Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom because it was owned by the sons of Hinnom. The Arabs call this place the Valley of Hell. In Jesus day the city dump was located there and the fires were kept burning night and day and as the smoke rose it could be see from afar. It was also the place where dead bodies were buried. When we look at the word the Holy Spirit chooses to bring forth the image of hell we see it is a place of filth, sorrow, smoke, pain, fire and death.

II- The Location of Hell:

We will need to look at both the location of Hades and Gehenna to understand the location of hell. Hades: Numbers 16:32-33 "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. ³³They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation." Korah and his band of rebels rebelled against God and His servant Moses and they were swallowed up and taken into the grave. This plainly teaches that it is in the heart of the earth. In fact this word is also used for the grave. Christ also descended to the lower parts of the earth while he was in the grave. (See Zephaniah 4:8-9 ) Many think he went to hell at this time to preach the gospel not so they could be saved but to show why they were lost. Gehenna: Matthew 8:12 "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

    Matthew 22:13 "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

2 Peter 2:17 "These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever."

    These verses plainly teach that Gehenna is a place of outer darkness and in not found in the earth but in a remote spot in God’s creation.

III- What Hell Will Be Like?

We can explore the scriptures and see several things concerning hell. Notice as you turn with me if you would. A- Hell is a place of unquenchable fire: Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

    Matthew 13:41-42 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; ⁴²And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

    Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."

B- Hell is a place of Memory and Remorse: Luke 16:25-27 "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. ²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house" In our text we see that the rich man remembered his failings and family. C- Hell is a place of thirst. Luke 16:24 "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." D- Hell is a place of misery and pain. Revelation 14:10-11 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: ¹¹And 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." E- Hell is a place of frustration and anger. Matthew 13:42 "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

    Matthew 24:51 "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

    F- Hell is a place that is eternal. Daniel 12:2 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

    Mark 9:43-48 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: ⁴⁴Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. ⁴⁵And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: ⁴⁶Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. ⁴⁷And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: ⁴⁸Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

IV- Who Will Be in Hell?

A- Satan- Hell was originally prepared for Satan and his angels. Matthew 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." B- The Anti-Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." C- The false prophet. Revelation 19:20 "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." D- Fallen angels. 2 Peter 2:4 "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." We know these as demons. E- All unsaved people. Revelation 21:8 "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."

    Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

    Nobody wants to go to hell. Have you come to Jesus so you may escape this fate? Notice just one more verse. Hebrews 2:2-3 "For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; ³How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him."