What does the Old Testament teach?
A proper biblical worldview includes a belief in a
real, eternal, and physical hell. What do you believe?
It is very interesting to discover that there are
more Bible verses about Hell than there are about Heaven. Here are a few verses
in the Old Testament about Hell. Daniel 12:2 proclaims, "Multitudes who
sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to
shame and everlasting contempt." Hell is described here as everlasting.
Isaiah 66:24 declares, "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." In this
Scripture, hell is described as a place where the fire is not quenched.
Deuteronomy 32:22 portrays hell as a place where God pours out His wrath,
"For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell; It
shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of
the mountains." Psalms 55:15 illustrates hell as a realm of the wicked,
"Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is
in their dwellings and among them."
What does the New Testament teach?
Does Hell Exist? If the clear teaching of the Old
Testament is not enough, the New Testament has much to say as well. 2
Thessalonians 1:9 tells us, "These shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power." Revelation 14:10-11, speaking of the antichrist, teaches us,
"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 ascends
forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and
his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Hell is a lake of
burning fire, as described in Revelation 20:14-15, "Then Death and Hades
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found
written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
What did Jesus say?
Some who argue that hell does not exist do so on the
basis of their belief that Jesus taught love, peace, and forgiveness - and that
He did not teach about an eternal place of fiery punishment for non-believers. Truth be told, they are parroting what others
have said and have neglected to do their own research. With respect to their claims, however, the
exact opposite is true. Jesus taught more about hell than anyone else in the
Word of God. Jesus described hell as an unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12), a
place of eternal fire, (Matthew 25:41)eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46), and
as a place of torment, fire, and agony (Luke 16:23-24). Jesus taught
specifically about hell many times in His ministry (Matthew 5:22, 29-30; 10:28;
18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43-47; Luke 12:6; 16:23). Does Hell Exist - How is an
eternity in Hell fair?
If Hell does exist, how can it be fair?
Why would a loving God punish a person for eternity,
when their sins only took place for 70-80 years? The answer is that all sin is
ultimately against God, who is infinite (Psalm 51:4). So, since God is an
eternal and infinite Being, all sin is worthy of an infinite punishment.
Yes, God loves us (John 3:16) and wants all people
to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). However, God is also just and righteous - He will
not allow sin to go unpunished. That is why God sent Jesus to pay the price for
our sins. Jesus Christ's death was an infinite death, paying our infinite sin
debt - so that we would not have to pay it in Hell for eternity (2 Corinthians
5:21).
If we reject His gift of eternal life through faith and trust in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ,
we will face the eternal consequences: an eternity in a fiery
hell.
If you die tonight, will you spend eternity in the
presence of God, or separated from him? It’s
the burning question…
No comments:
Post a Comment