Hell-Fire


Copyright c by Joe Crews.
  All rights reserved.


One of the most theologically confused subjects in the Bible is 
that of hell.  It has been fumbled by the clergy and distorted 
by the laity until the word has become best known as a common 
vulgarism and expletive.  Everywhere people are asking the same 
questions:  What and where is hell?  What is the fate of the 
wicked?  Will a God of love torture people throughout eternity?  
Will the fire of hell ever burn the wickedness out of sinners?
These are questions which deserve sound Bible answers, and the 
controversy surrounding the subject should not discourage us 
from exposing all the truth as it is in Christ.  First of all, 
we need to understand that there is a heaven to win and a hell 
to shun.  Jesus taught that every soul will be either saved or 
lost.  There is no neutral place, and there are no second 
prizes.  "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; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire:  
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the 
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their 
Father."  Matthew 13:41-43.
In view of these two ultimate destinies for all who have ever 
been born, how earnest we should be in seeking to find the right 
way.  Christ said, "I am the way, the truth  and the life."  The 
only absolute safety for anyone is to take exactly what Jesus 
taught about hell.  His doctrine is the only one which is wholly 
dependable and true.  He said some will be cast into the fire, 
and some will shine forth in the kingdom.
Strangely enough, Christ has been charged by many religious 
leaders with teaching a falsehood on this subject.  They have 
accused Him of teaching that an immortal soul flies away from 
the body at death to either heaven or hell.  This is not what 
Jesus taught at all.  He never gave the least intimation that 
some disembodied soul separates from the body at the time of 
death.  And surely He did not ever give the impression that the 
wicked suffer an eternal torment as soon as they die.
Now let's get a sample of what Jesus really taught on the 
subject of hell.  "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 ..." Mark 9:43.  These words of the Master 
prove beyond any shadow of doubt that it is the body which goes 
into the fire, and not some mystical soul.  In Matthew 5:30 He 
spoke of the "whole body" being cast into hell.  That means 
hands, feet, eyes, and all the other members of the physical 
body.
In contrast to the doctrine of Christ, modern pulpits resound 
with dramatic portrayals of imaginary souls leaving the body at 
death--souls that have neither substance nor shape.  This view, 
popular though it may be, is totally contrary to what Jesus 
taught.  Mark it well, for the great Master Teacher spelled it 
out repeatedly in the gospels--those who are cast into the fire 
of hell will go there with hands, feet, eyes, and all the 
physical features of the body.  They will not go in some 
ethereal state of formless spirit or soul.
Now we are prepared to examine four great facts from the Bible 
which will illuminate most of the questions which have been 
asked about the fate of the wicked.

Punishment After 
The Judgment

The first important fact about hell is this:  The unsaved do not 
go to any place of punishment as soon as they die, but are 
reserved in the grave until the day of judgment to be punished.  
Christ explicitly taught this truth in the well-known parable of 
the wheat and the tares.  After the householder had sown the 
wheat in the field, his servant came to report that tares were 
growing among the grain.  His question was whether he should 
pull up the weeds while they were still very small.  The 
householder's answer was, "Nay; lest while ye gather up the 
tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  Let both grow 
together until the harvest:  and in the time of the harvest I 
will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and 
bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my 
barn."  Matthew 13:29, 30.
Now follow the words of Christ as He explains the meaning of the 
parable:  "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;  The 
field is the world; the good seed are the children of the 
kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The 
enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of 
the world; and the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the 
tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the 
end of this world.  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; And shall cast them into a furnace 
of fire:  there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  
Matthew 13:37-43.
No one can simplify the parable by enlarging on what Jesus said.  
It is so clear that a child can understand it.  He said the 
tares represented the wicked people, and that they would be cast 
into the fire "at the end of the world."  It was in the harvest 
that the separation would take place, and He plainly stated, 
"The harvest is the end of the world."  How can anyone 
misconstrue these words of Christ?  The whole idea of the wicked 
going into the fire at the time of death contradicts our Lord's 
specific teaching that they would be cast into the fire at the 
end of the world.
Since the judgment also takes place after Christ comes we can 
see how impossible it would be for anyone to be punished before 
that time.  Justice demands that a person be brought into 
judgment before being punished.  Peter declared, "The Lord 
knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to 
reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."  2 
Peter 2:9.  That certainly makes sense, doesn't it?  Suppose a 
man should be brought into the court accused of stealing, and 
the judge said, "Put him away for ten years; then we'll try his 
case."  Listen, even a human judge would not be that unfair!  He 
would be impeached for such an action.  Surely God would not be 
guilty of such a farce.
If we let the Bible mean what it says, there can be no doubt on 
this point.  The wicked are "reserved" until when?  Until the 
"day of judgment."  To be what?  "To be punished"!  This means 
they cannot be punished before that judgment day. Does the Bible 
tell where they are reserved until then?  Christ Himself said, 
"Marvel not at this:  for the hour is coming, in which all that 
are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; 
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and 
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."  
John 5:28, 29.
How plain!  Jesus said that both good and bad will come forth 
from their graves to receive either life or damnation.  This 
proves that from the time of death until they come forth in the 
resurrection they are not receiving any recompense or 
punishment.  It all happens after they come forth.  They are 
reserved until that day just as Peter indicated, but Christ 
spelled out where they will be reserved--"in the graves."
If plainer words are needed, listen to Jesus speaking in Luke 
14:14, "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the 
just."  Or hear Him again in Matthew 16:27, "For the Son of man 
shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then 
he shall reward every man according to his works."  When is 
"then"?  When He comes with His angels.  No reward or recompense 
is handed out until the resurrection of the just, when He comes 
with all the angels.  These verses are beyond controversy.  
Taken in their context, they contain no ambiguity or hidden 
meaning.
Again Christ is quoted in the very last chapter of the Bible, 
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give 
every man according as his work shall be."  Revelation 22:12.  
Here He reminds us that "every man"--every person--will receive 
his just reward when Christ returns to this earth.  Job declares 
"that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction.  They 
shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."  Daniel wrote that 
they which "sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to 
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."  
Daniel 12:2.
Can there be any doubt where the wicked are reserved before 
facing resurrection, judgment, and punishment?  We have the 
testimony of Peter, Daniel, Job and the Master Himself. There is 
no room to quibble.  They are reserved in the grave.  
Now we come to the second great fact about hell:  None of the 
unsaved will be cast into hell-fire until after the second 
coming of Jesus at the end of the world.  Although we have 
already seen substantial evidence on this point, let's look even 
more.  Describing the punishment of the wicked, John wrote:  
"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 21: 
8.

No Second Death
Before the Resurrection

Here the lost are pictured in the fires of hell, suffering the 
punishment for their sins.  And what is that punishment?  "The 
second death," says John.  Do you realize what this proves about 
the wicked?  It proves they will not be cast into the lake of 
fire until after the resurrection takes place.  These people die 
the second death in the fire, but they cannot suffer a second 
death until they get a second life. They lived the first life in 
this world and died the first death, going into the grave.  
Before they can die a second death they must be resurrected--
they must be given a second life.  This, of course, is what 
happens at the end of the world.  Jesus said, "All that are in 
the graves shall come forth."  
Now after getting that second life in the resurrection, the 
wicked will be punished for their sins in hell-fire, "which is 
the second death."  By the way, that second death is the final, 
eternal death from which there will be no resurrection.  But the 
point to be noted is the time of this hell-fire punishment--it 
is after the resurrection at the end of the world.  It does not 
take place at the time of the first death as so many have been 
led to believe.
Does the Bible tell us how the wicked will be cast into the lake 
of fire?  Yes, it does.  John describes the dramatic events that 
take place at the close of the millennium. "And when the 
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his 
prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the 
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them 
together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the 
sea.  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and 
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:  
and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."  
Revelation 20:7-9.
Here at the end of the millennium all the wicked people who have 
ever lived will come forth in the second resurrection.  After 
describing how the righteous would come to life and reign with 
Christ during the thousand years, John wrote, "But the rest of 
the dead lived not again until the thousand years were 
finished."  Revelation 20:5.  
The rest of the dead, of course, had to be the wicked, and their 
resurrection will provide opportunity for Satan to take up his 
continuing battle against God and the saints.  He goes out to 
gather the host of lost ones, who have been raised from the 
dead. He has people to deceive once more, and he convinces them 
that they can prevail against the New Jerusalem which has 
descended from God out of heaven (Revelation 21:2).  As they 
march up and encompass the city, the wicked are suddenly cut 
down by the devouring fire which rains upon them from heaven.  
This is the hell-fire which is the final punishment for sin.

Location of Hell

The Bible clearly asserts that this fire devours the wicked 
right here on "the breadth of the earth."  Every Bible writer 
who speaks on the subject of hell adds new insight on this 
second death of the wicked.  Peter states:  "But the heavens and 
the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, 
reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of 
ungodly men."  2 Peter 3:7.   Then he goes on to describe the 
day of the Lord which will melt the very elements with fervent 
heat.
The language of Peter is very explicit about the place of 
punishment for the ungodly.  He says this earth is reserved 
for that fire which will bring judgment 
and perdition to the wicked.  Their punishment will be in this 
earth.  Isaiah declared, "For it is the day of the Lord's 
vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of 
Zion.  And the streams thereof shall be turned into brimstone, 
and the 
land thereof shall become burning pitch."  Isaiah 34:8, 9.
The prophet portrays the entire planet enveloped in the 
destroying fire.  Even the streams and dust are transformed into 
an exploding combustion of pitch and brimstone.  Isaiah says 
this is God's vengeance and "recompense" at the end of the 
controversy.
David adds to the testimony with these words, "Upon the wicked 
he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible 
tempest:  this shall be the portion of their cup."  Psalm 11:6.  
Notice that he uses almost  the same words as John and Peter in 
describing the fate of the wicked.  All agree as to the place of 
the punishment (the earth) and the agent of punishment (fire).
This brings us to the third great fact about the subject of 
hell.  Hell as a place of punishment will be this earth turned 
into a lake of fire at the Day of Judgment.  But this also 
raises some other very interesting questions about the fate of 
the lost. One of the most intriguing and puzzling has to do with 
the length of punishment.  How long will the wicked continue to 
live and suffer in that fire?
No one can answer that question precisely because the Bible says 
they will be punished according to their works. This means there 
will be degrees of punishment. Some will suffer longer than 
others.  But one thing we can say with  certainty--the wicked 
won't live in that fire throughout eternity.  

Hell-Fire Not Endless

There are several reasons for being so sure on this point.  
First of all, this earth is also declared to be the final home 
for the righteous.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek:  For they 
shall inherit the earth."  Matthew 5:5.  Peter, after describing 
this earth exploding and burning with a great noise, saw a new 
earth filled with righteousness.  "Nevertheless we, according to 
his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein 
dwelleth righteousness."  2 Peter 3:13.
The wicked cannot continue to live in this planet because it has 
been specifically promised, in its entirety, to Abraham's 
spiritual seed (Romans 4:13).  After being purged of all the 
curse of sin, it will revert to the first dominion, and to God's 
original plan for it.  It will be finally what God intended it 
to be--a perfect home for a perfect people.
In the second place, the wicked cannot continue to live in this 
earth because they have never trusted Christ for eternal life.  
It is only the righteous who receive the gift of eternal life.  
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. ..."  John 
3:16.  But what about those who don't believe in him?  They 
surely will perish.  The Bible says, "The wages of sin is 
death."  Romans 6:23.  Please don't miss the pointed simplicity 
of these verses. The wicked are never promised life.  They are 
promised death--eternal death.  Only the righteous are promised 
life--eternal life.
But there is only one way to get life without end, and that is 
through faith in Jesus.  John describes it this way:  "And this 
is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this 
life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that 
hath not the Son of God hath not life."  1 John 5:11, 12.  Let 
me ask you a question:  Do those wicked ones in the lake of fire 
have the Son of God?  Of course not.  Then how could they have 
life? John says, "Ye know that no murderer hath eternal life 
abiding in him."  1 John 3:15.  Will those murderers in hell-
fire continue to have life for eternity?  Never.
It would be the rankest heresy to believe that eternal life 
could be obtained from some other source than Jesus.  Where 
would the wicked get it?  Paul declares that Jesus Christ "hath 
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."  2 
Timothy 1:10.   Inspiration reveals no other source of 
immortality except through the gospel of Christ.  Where is a 
text in the Bible which describes the conferring of immortality 
upon the wicked?  You can read often about the  righteous 
receiving it, but never the unbeliever. 
Paul said, "Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, 
but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an 
eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the 
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal 
must put on immortality."  1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
This text speaks of a certain point in time when the righteous 
will be instantly changed into immortal beings.  That time is 
still future.  It occurs when Jesus returns, at the last trumpet 
sound, when the resurrection takes place.  Nowhere in the Bible 
do we read of the wicked being changed in this manner.  And it 
is precisely because they never receive this gift of eternal 
life that they are unable to keep living in the lake of fire.
It is inconceivable and unreasonable to fabricate such an event.  
It is contrary to the Bible and repugnant to the senses.  
Ezekiel declared, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."  
Ezekiel 18:4.  No matter what we understand a soul to be, let's 
accept the simple Bible fact that it can die and will die as a 
result of sin.
If the wicked live eternally in the fire, then they have the 
same thing as the righteous except in a different place.  Who 
could give them eternal life but Christ?  John 3:16 settles this 
issue so clearly and simply.  Those who do not believe in the 
only begotten Son will perish.  They will die.  They will die 
the second death--an eternal death from which they will never be 
raised.  That death will never end.  It is an endless, eternal 
punishment, because it is an endless, eternal death.

  UNQUENCHABLE FIRE

Someone may raise this question:  What about the unquenchable 
fire that burns the wicked?  Doesn't that mean it will never go 
out?  Of course, it doesn't.  To quench means to extinguish or 
put out.  No one will be able to put out the fire of hell.  That 
is the strange fire of God.  No one will be able to escape from 
it by extinguishing it. Isaiah says of that fire, "Behold, they 
shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not 
deliver themselves from the power of the flame:  there shall not 
be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before it."  Isaiah 
47:14.  After it has accomplished its work of destruction, that 
fire will go out. No one can deliver themselves from its flame 
by putting it out, but finally not a coal will be left.  So say 
the Scriptures.
Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would burn with a fire that 
could not be quenched (Jeremiah 17:27), but it burned down to 
ashes (2 Chronicles 36:19-21).  Read those verses and see how 
the Bible uses the word "quench."  It does not mean fire that 
will never go out.  It only means what it says, "unquenchable."  
It can't be quenched.
And what can we say about the expressions "eternal" and 
"everlasting" which are used to describe the fires of hell?  
There is absolutely no confusion or contradiction when we allow 
the Bible to supply its own definition of terms.  Many make the 
mistake of applying modern definitions to those biblical words 
without reference to their ancient contextual usage.  This 
violates one of the most fundamental rules of interpretation.
The fact is that eternal fire does not mean a fire that will 
never go out.  The same expression is used in Jude 7 concerning 
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha.  "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 as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal 
fire."
It is quite obvious that Sodom is not still burning today.  The 
Dead Sea rolls over the place where those ancient cities once 
stood.  Yet they burned with "eternal fire," and we are told 
that it was an example of something.  What is it an example of?  
"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes 
condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto 
those that after should live ungodly."  2 Peter 2:6.
There it is!  That eternal fire which brought Sodom to ashes is 
an example of what will finally happen to the wicked.  If this 
text is true, the same kind of fire that destroyed Sodom and 
Gomorrha will also burn the wicked in the lake of fire.  It will 
have to be eternal fire. Does that mean it will also burn the 
wicked to ashes?  The Bible says Yes.  "For behold, the day 
cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and 
all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:  and the day that cometh 
shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave 
them neither root nor branch ... And ye shall tread down the 
wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in 
the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."  Malachi 
4:1, 3.
No words of any language could make it more forceful or clear.  
This eternal fire burns up eternally. Even Satan, the root, is 
finally consumed.  How consistent the whole picture appears as 
we let the Bible explain its own terms.  What devious 
manipulation of words would be required to evade the obvious 
meaning of these words.  Yet those who have been prejudiced by a 
lifetime of tradition can read those words "burn them up ... 
they shall be ashes" and still insist that the wicked are alive 
and suffering.
Admittedly, there are some ambiguous verses on this subject, but 
we are finding that they all harmonize when the context is 
considered, and the Bible is allowed to be its own commentary.
Even Christ's words in Matthew 25:46 are not confusing when we 
take the obvious meaning.  "And these shall go away into 
everlasting punishment:  but the righteous into life eternal."  
Many are troubled over the expression, "everlasting punishment," 
but notice that it does not say  "everlasting punishing."  
Whatever the punishment is, it will last eternally. Does the 
Bible tell us what the punishment is?  Of course.  "The wages of 
sin is death."  Romans 6:23.  So Jesus was simply saying that 
the death would be everlasting. It  would never end.  It would 
never be broken by a resurrection.
Paul simplifies it further with these words:  "In flaming fire 
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not 
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished ... 
"  Now, listen, Paul is going to tell us what the punishment is.  
"Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the 
presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."  2 
Thessalonians 1:8, 9.  So the punishment is everlasting 
destruction -- a destruction that is everlasting.  From it there 
will be no resurrection or hope of life.
But what about that worm which dieth not?  Many have read the 
words of Jesus about hell, "Where their worm dieth not and the 
fire is not quenched."  Mark 9:45, 46.  Some have interpreted 
the worm to be the soul.  Is that what Jesus meant?  Nowhere in 
the Bible is there any allusion to the soul as a worm.
In this instance Jesus used the word "Gehenna" for the word 
"hell."  It so happened that Gehenna was an actual place of 
burning just outside the walls of Jerusalem.  No doubt, Christ's 
listeners could see the smoke curling up from the Valley of 
Gehenna, where dead bodies and garbage were constantly being 
burned.  If anything fell outside the destructive flames, it was 
quickly consumed by maggots or worms.  With the vivid scenes of 
utter extinction before their eyes, Jesus used the Gehenna fire 
as an example of the complete destruction of hell-fire.  The 
fire was never quenched, and the worms were constantly at work 
upon the bodies--a picture of total  destruction.
Perhaps the most easily misconstrued text about hell is John's 
allusion to the smoke ascending "for ever and ever."  For those 
who are unfamiliar with other uses of this phrase in the Bible, 
it can be very confusing indeed.  But a comparison of verses in 
both Old and New Testaments reveal that the words "for ever" are 
used 57 times in the Bible in reference to something that has 
already come to an end. In other words, "for ever" does not 
always mean "without end."
Many notable examples could be cited, but two or three are 
noteworthy.  In Exodus 21, the conditions are laid down 
concerning the law of servitude. If a servant chose to continue 
serving the master he loved rather than his freedom when it came 
due, then his ear was to be pierced with an awl and the 
Scripture declares, "He shall serve him for ever."  Verse 6.  
But how long would that servant serve his human master?  Only as 
long as he lived, of course.  So the words "for ever" did not 
mean without end.
Hannah took her son Samuel to God's temple, where he would 
"there abide for ever."  1 Samuel 1:22.  Yet in verse 28 we are 
plainly told, "As long as he liveth he shall be lent to the 
Lord."  The original meaning of the term "for ever" indicates an 
indefinite period of time.  Generally it defines the period of 
time in which something can continue to exist under the 
circumstances prevailing.  Even Jonah's stay in the whale's 
belly is described by him as "for ever."   Jonah 2:6.
Someone may object that this could also limit the life of the 
righteous in heaven, because they are described as glorifying 
God forever.  The terms are the same for both the saved and the 
lost.  But there is one tremendous difference in the 
circumstances involved.  The saints have received the gift of 
immortality.  Their life now measures with the life of God.  
Immortality means "not subject to death."  The words "for ever" 
used in reference to them could only mean "without end," because 
they are immortal subjects already.  But when "for ever" is used 
to describe the wicked, we are talking about mortal creatures 
who can die and must die.  Their "for ever" is only as long as 
their mortal nature can survive in the fire which punishes them 
according to their works.

Soul and Body Destroyed

This brings us to the final fact concerning the fate of the 
wicked.  After the unsaved are punished according to their sins, 
they will be wiped out of existence, both body and soul.  Jesus 
states it very simply, "And fear not them which kill the body 
... but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and 
body in hell."  Matthew 10:28.
In the light of this statement, how can anyone continue to claim 
immortality for the wicked?  Jesus, the only One who can bestow 
the gift of life, rejects the possibility that those in hell can 
continue to live in any form whatsoever. The life will be 
snuffed out for eternity, and the body will be annihilated in 
the flames.
The psalmist wrote:  "But the wicked shall perish, and the 
enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs:  they shall 
consume; into smoke shall they consume away."  Psalm 37:20. "For 
yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:  yea, thou 
shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be."  
Verse 10.
The most powerful, definitive words in human language are used 
to describe the destruction in hell, but people still insist 
that the writers do not really mean what their words express.  
"Destroy," "consume," "burn up," "devour," "death"--do these 
words have some mysterious, opposite meaning in the Bible than 
they have in other books?  We have no reason to think so.  The 
fact is that theology has made an ogre out of our great God of 
love.  He has been portrayed as more cruel than Hitler.  Even 
though Hitler tortured people and experimented with them, 
finally he allowed them to die.  But God will keep these 
deathless souls alive for the purpose of seeing them writhe and 
scream throughout eternity, so the theologians claim.

God's Justice Vindicated 

Not only is such a picture misrep-resentative of God's love, it 
also distorts His justice.  Think for a moment about the 
implications of a doctrine that would consign every lost soul to 
an immediate, never-ending hell at the time of death.  Suppose a 
man died 5,000 years ago with one cherished sin in his life.  
His soul would go instantly into the fire to be tormented for 
eternity.  Then picture another death; that of Adolph Hitler, 
who supervised the deaths of millions of people.  According to 
the popular doctrine, his soul also would immediately enter hell 
to suffer eternally.  But the man who was lost because of only 
one sin, will burn 5,000 years longer than Hitler.  How could 
that be just?  Would God deal in such a manner?  It would 
contradict the Bible statement that each one must be punished 
according to his works.
There are two extreme views in current circulation concerning 
the punishment of the wicked.  One is Universalism, which 
contends that God is too good to allow anyone to be lost.  The 
other is the awful doctrine of endless torment which would 
perpetuate for all eternity a dark abyss of anguish and 
suffering.  Both are wrong.  The truth lies in between.  God 
will punish the wicked according to their works, but He will not 
immortalize evil in the process.
I truly believe that many honest souls have been turned away 
from God because of their revulsion at this misrepresentation of 
His character. They can't love someone who would arbitrarily 
keep evil people in endless torment with no purpose in view.  No 
rehabilitation is possible.  Only a vindictive spirit of revenge 
could be served by such an unspeakable arrangement.  Is God like 
that?  After hearing the Bible truth about hell, a bank 
president threw his arms around my shoulders and said, "Joe, I'm 
a believer again.  For years I've been an agnostic because I had 
been taught that God would torture the wicked eternally."

No More Pain Or Death

Someday soon God will have a clean universe.  All the effects of 
sin will be banished forever.  There will be no sin, no sinners 
and no devil to tempt.  It will be just exactly like God planned 
it in the beginning.
John described that future home in these words, "And God shall 
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more 
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any 
more pain:  for the former things are passed away."  Revelation 
21:4.
Can you find any room in those precious words for any suffering 
on the part of anybody in the whole recreated universe?  God 
said crying and pain would be no more.  Do you believe His Word 
or do you choose to believe man's surmising?  Just four verses 
before writing this promise, John described how the wicked would 
be cast into the lake of fire.  "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." Revelation 20:15; 21:1.
That lake of fire is right here on planet earth according to 
Revelation 20:9.  But please notice that this place where the 
wicked burn will pass away, and God will re-create the new earth 
in its stead.  Then Revelation 21:2, 3 describe the New 
Jerusalem descending, and verse four says there will be no more 
sorrow, pain, crying, or death.
In order for no more pain to exist, there can be no eternal hell 
existing either.  The two things are mutually exclusive of each 
other.  We should thank God every day that His plan will finally 
bring an end to suffering.  Satan will not be here to cause 
pain, and God promises that His new kingdom will not even 
contain a shadow of a pain.

Hell Not Intended For Us

Finally, we should rejoice that hell was never intended for you 
and me.  Jesus said it was "prepared for the devil and his 
angels."  Matthew 25:41.  If we stumble into that fire, it will 
be the most colossal blunder we could ever make. You would have 
to go there over the broken body of Jesus Christ and in spite of 
the Father's love, the Holy Spirit's pleading, and the heavenly 
influence of a million angels.  The most unanswerable question 
in the whole world is this:  "How shall we escape if we neglect 
so great a salvation?"  There is no answer because there is no 
escape except through Christ and His cross. 
No one will be lost because he sinned, because everyone has 
sinned.  No one will be left out of heaven because he lied, 
stole, or committed adultery.  The only reason anyone will be 
lost is because he refuses to turn away from his sin into the 
arms of a loving Saviour who stands ready to pardon and cleanse 
from all unrighteousness.  "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."  John 3:16.

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