Until recently, I had planned a lesson on the best thing about Heaven. But then, Tim posted a poem and one of the comments from readers posed a very interesting question that presents a dilemma in our quest for Heaven. The question that arises is the usual: “If God so loves, He won’t condemn us to Hell, will He?” The dilemma presented to us as teachers, preachers, and believers is that such a desire for everyone to go to Heaven sometimes prevents us from speaking on the reality of Hell. All too often, we see the sugar coated gospel telling us of all the beautiful and joyous things in Heaven while neglecting to tell us of the harsh reality of Satan and his final home. So, it comes as no big surprise that many Christians either are unaware of Hell or they choose to see it only as a myth. Alas, to many unbelievers, who only see heaven as an escape from the world, the argument is made that a loving and caring God would not send anyone to such a horrible place as Hell.

Tim's Poem, "Eternity In Hell"

Therefore, it has become apparent to me that before we can look at the wonders of Heaven, we must see the reality of the horrors of Hell. Just as Jesus spoke more about Hell than Heaven to warn those who were imprisoned by their sins, we must take the time to learn the truth about Hell and warn those still held captive by sin the consequences of their actions – Hell.

Questions to ponder: If there was no Hell and only Heaven, why did Jesus have to suffer and die such a gruesome death upon the cross? What would be the point of Resurrection Day? Essentially, why do we need salvation if there is no Hell? And, if we believe there is no Hell, must we not also believe there is no Heaven? Finally, do we truly even believe God’s Holy Word?

These are tough questions but they need to be asked before we can fully understand the significance of both Heaven and Hell. If we truly take Jesus at His word, then we must believe there are both a heaven and a Hell as we look at the parable He told concerning the kingdom of Heaven and the dark domain of Hell. This is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

Luke 16:19-31
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

Some scholars today believe that this is more than just a parable. Reasoning that Jesus actually departed from the norm and mentioned a person by name, they state that this was a real occurrence witnessed by Jesus. Whether this belief is true, or whether it is just one of Jesus’ teaching aids, is not the issue. The issue is the existence of Heaven and Hell.

As we look at this parable, we are presented with two distinct lives and lifestyles. First, we are introduced to an extremely wealthy individual, the rich man. Obviously filled with pride and greed, he dressed in the finest of clothes and lived an extravagant life. Thinking only of himself, he withheld any help from the beggars at his door, wasting even the table scraps that could offer nourishment to the needy. Ultimately, he died and was buried.

Next, we are introduced to Lazarus, a poor beggar who lay at the rich man’s doorstep. Being covered with sores (which were licked by dogs), his only desire was for the rich man to share his table scraps and fill his malnourished body. Mercifully, Lazarus died and was carried to Abraham’s bosom, Heaven. At this point, you may say that Lazarus got his reward and the rich man, having been buried, escaped punishment for his actions. However, that is not the case.

As we look further into this parable, we see that Jesus says the rich man was being tormented in Hades (Hell). And, obviously part of his torment was to gaze upon the glorious reward received by Lazarus. Also, we see that the rich man was tormented with fire and a thirst that was unquenchable. Ironically, he asked Abraham to send Lazarus – the very one whom he had refused to help – to dip his finger in water and cool the rich man’s thirst. Emphasizing that there was no way for Lazarus to cross the great divide between Heaven and Hell, Abraham points out the role reversals; whereas Lazarus was tormented on earth while the rich man lived in comfort, now the rich man was eternally tormented in Hell while Lazarus was forever comforted in Heaven.

Incredulously, the rich man then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers about their future of torment that most assuredly was waiting for them. Boldly, Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers have the words of Moses and the prophets to direct them in the ways they should go. Unwittingly, the rich man says that his brothers would not listen to the Scriptures but would listen to one raised from the dead. Correcting the rich man, Abraham says that if people are not willing to listen to the Word they will not believe someone raised from the dead.

Certainly, after reading this parable and believing Jesus to be the Truth, we must recognize that Hell does exist. Additionally, we receive a glimpse of what Hell is like and who will inhabit it.

Within this parable we see Hell as a place of constant torment both physically and spiritually – a place where fire torments the body and reflections of our past deeds and lifestyles torment the souls of its inhabitants. These are just two descriptions of what Hell is like. We will look at more of these in a moment.

Likewise we get a glimpse of some of those who will occupy Hell. First, we see those who mistreat their neighbors and live a life of greed, pride, and conceit. Secondly, we see those who reject the Scriptures. Finally, we see those who reject Jesus. These are just a few of the people for whom Hell is reserved. We will see more of these people later.

Now, let us look at more of the descriptions of Hell. Departing from the usual, I am letting the scriptures speak more than my comments.

Revelations 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.

Here we see Hell as a great lake of fire set to engulf all those who are destined to occupy it.

II Thessalonians 1:9
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

In this verse, Paul is telling the believers at Thessalonica that Hell will be a place of everlasting destruction and separation from the Lord.

Matthew 8:12
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Within this verse, Jesus gives us two more descriptions of Hell. First, He calls it a place of outer darkness. Secondly, He says it is a place of bitter weeping and violent anger. The movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, illustrates this aspect of Hell brilliantly by showing a dark, fiery place where violence and sorrow are its only distinct characteristics.

Matthew 25:41-46
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Here, as Jesus discusses who will or will not find themselves heaven bound, He describes Hell as an everlasting fire and an everlasting punishment.

As we can easily see, Jesus and His followers knew Hell to be a very real and horrible place; a great lake of everlasting fire, a place destruction and separation from God, an outer darkness, a place of great sorrow and violent anger, and, finally, a place of everlasting punishment to body and soul. Obviously, Hell is a very horrible and unwelcoming place that I, for one, do not wish to visit much less occupy for eternity.

So, if Hell is such a horrible place, who will inhabit it? The parable of Lazarus and the rich man gives a slight glimpse into who will spend eternity there. Glancing at other scriptures, we become aware of the many who will suffer eternal torment. Just who are they?

Matthew 25:41-46
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

II Peter 2:4-6
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; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

Obviously, the most prominent occupants of Hell will be Satan and his angels. Along with them will be all who have neglected the commandments to love God and their neighbors as well as those destroyed by the flood and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. These are some of the many who will occupy Hell for eternity; but, they will have company.

Revelation 19:20
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelations 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.

Also finding Hell as their permanent address will be the beast (Antichrist), the false prophet, death, and the grave (Hades). In addition, those whose names are not in the Book of Life will take up permanent residence there.

Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The next occupants of Hell are the wicked. These are called the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable (vile), murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars.

Romans 2:8-9
But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;

Then we find the disobedient – those who are selfish and only obey unrighteousness. These are the proud and arrogant individuals much like the rich man.

Revelation 14:9-11
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. 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.”

Obviously, those who choose to follow the Antichrist during the tribulation period will join him there in Hell.

Matthew 23:13-15
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Another group of individuals to have occupancy in Hell are the religious leaders who lead their flocks astray, keeping them from the kingdom of God. Today, this would include cult leaders like David Koresh and Jim Jones among others. No wonder Jesus, Paul, and Jude so earnestly warns us not to fall prey to their words and ways; but, to test them by God’s word.

Lastly, we see those who have rejected the gospel condemned to Hell. These are those about whom Abraham spoke when he told the rich man that if his brothers would not believe the Scriptures they most assuredly would not believe someone raised from the dead.

Yes, dear friends, there most definitely is a place called Hell. And, it is reserved for all who reject Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior. To even remotely reject the notion of Hell is the same as calling Jesus a liar, thus condemning ourselves to that horrible place that we say does not exist. Therefore, if we believe in Christ and the resurrection, then we must believe in the reality of both Heaven and Hell. In retrospect, Paul sums up our options best in his second letter to the Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In essence Paul is saying that we need to be counted as worthy of God’s love and His calling to a relationship with Him. He also warns us what will happen if we refuse to disobey God and not believe Jesus Christ is LORD. Paul calls upon us to not fall into that everlasting destruction in Hell; but to be found worthy of the kingdom of God.

Ultimately, the choice is yours to make. Do you believe there are a Heaven and a Hell? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is LORD and Savior? Are we committed to assuring our friends of Heaven while warning them of Hell?

Eventually, we must realize that it is not God who condemns us to Hell. Inexcusably, it is our own words and deeds that condemn us to Hell. On the other hand, it is also our words, faith, and actions that assure us of a home in Heaven.

Perhaps, before reading this lesson, you doubted the existence of Hell. But, now, you realize its horrible reality. I implore you to encourage your friends to realize its reality before it’s too late.

Perhaps you have come to this bible study without knowing Christ in a personal way and the consequences of not allowing Him to be your Lord and Savior. But, after reading about the horrors that await those who do not know Him, you want to give your life over to Him completely. I urge you to take the time to pray this prayer:

“Most Holy and Loving God, I come to You admitting my sins and asking your forgiveness. I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for loving me so much that You would allow Jesus to suffer and die upon the cross for me. Thank you for preparing me a place in Heaven with you and saving me from Hell and its total separation from You. In the Holy Name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen”

Now, let the rest of us join in prayer:

“Father God, we thank you for your love and concern for us. We thank you for the cleansing blood of Jesus. We ask now that You will use us to show Your love to others. We ask that, in these troublesome times, You will be with our leaders and our nations; that You would lead us into a closer relationship with You. In Jesus’ Holy Name we pray. Amen”

I thank each and every one of you for your support. This is a difficult concept to grasp, but it is one that we need to be reminded of. There are many more scriptures that speak of heaven and Hell. So this is just a sampling. Please post any comments you may have on the group’s discussion board. Again, I thank you.

Your Brother on Christ, Mark