DEATH DETHRONED – HELL by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction: According to the Gallup Poll in 2023, only 59% of people believe in hell, which is slightly more than those who believe in the devil (58%). According to the Pew Research, which also came out last year, 72% of people believe in heaven but only 62% believe in hell. Of course, that is understandable, since people want to go to heaven, but no one wants to go to hell. When asked what they thought people experienced in hell, they got all kinds of answers: 53% said that people experience psychological suffering, 53% also said that people become aware of the suffering they created in the world, 51% said that people experience physical suffering, 49% said that those in hell cannot have a relationship with God, and 44% said that, in hell, you can meet Satan. People have all kinds of ideas about hell, but if you noticed, its only around 50% who even believed in a literal hell i.e., only 5 out of 10! As you know, we’re in our series leading into Easter titled DEATH DETHRONED, where we are looking at Death and the Afterlife, and what Jesus has done for us. Today our focus will be on hell. We’re going to learn that hell is a real place of eternal conscious punishment for sin against a holy and righteous God. But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Rejecting Jesus is choosing hell forever.

Matthew 25:41 “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.’”

I want to begin today’s message with prayer because we will be talking about hell.People make jokes about hell, they curse using the word hell, they sing songs with the word hell in them, or they casually discuss the ins and outs of hell, but what they don’t realize is that when we mention hell, we are talking about a place of punishment that God has prepared for Satan and his angels. Do you think they like to hear us make fun of, curse with, sing about or casually discuss a place of eternal torment coming for them? Prayer for protection, guidance, and response to receive Christ or save the lost.

Context: In recent years, the subject of hell has been a big topic of disagreement, especially among Christians. Although there have been people throughout history who have challenged the traditional understanding of hell, it’s never been as widespread as it is today. Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), a noted theologian, wrote: “The grounds on which people argue against the eternity of hellish punishment always remain the same (just 3 out of 5 points here): a. Eternal punishment is incompatible with the goodness, love, and compassion of God and makes him a tyrant who takes pleasure in inflicting pain and torment and who prepares praise for himself out of the everlasting moans of millions of unfortunate creatures (In other words, how can a loving God be okay with sending millions, if not billions of people to suffer in hell forever? The punishment of hell does not fit the nature of God.). b. Eternal punishment is incompatible with the justice of God, since it is unrelated and in no way proportionate to the sin in question, which however appalling, is nevertheless limited and finite in character. It is inconceivable that God, who is perfect love and supreme justice, will punish human beings, even if they have sinned a thousand years, with everlasting torment (In other words, how can a just and fair God be okay with sending millions, if not billions of people to suffer in hell forever? The punishment of hell forever does not fit the crime.). c. Such eternal punishment is also unimaginable and inconceivable. Scripture speaks of fire, a worm, and darkness, but these are all images. Taken literally, they are mutually exclusive (In other words, how can a lake of fire in Matthew 18 be the same as the blackness of darkness in Jude? The language of the Bible on hell is too confusing.).”

Question: What do you believe about hell? Do you believe as some do that “when we die, those who are lost are annihilated (cease to exist)?” Or do you believe as some do that “when we die, those who are lost go to hell for a limited time of punishment and then they are destroyed (conditional immortality)? Or do you believe as some do that “after a period of punishment, there will be a second chance offered and those who take it will be saved?” Or do you believe as some do that “in the end, everyone will be saved (Universalism)?” Some churches don’t even want to talk about hell. They want a preacher who will not be hellfire and brimstone, just positive.

Critical truth: It matters what you believe about hell because what you believe about hell says a lot about what you believe about God. Also, what you believe about hell says a lot of about what you will do about the lost people in your life. 

We must turn to the Bible and see what it has to say about hell. Keep in mind the proper study of the Bible, the proper balance of Old and New Testament, and the grid of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. I want to add something else today, we also need to bring the proper balance of theological, philosophical, moral, and aesthetic issues (Jerry Walls and Jonathan Kvanvig). It’ll make sense as we go further in this message. With that said, let’s dive in:

1. In the Old Testament, Sheol was just a glimpse of what hell would be in the end.

If you remember, the Old Testament uses the word “Sheol” in Hebrew and “Hades” in LXX Greek as the place where both the saved and the lost went when they died. After Jesus died, he descended into Sheol/Hades and led “captivity captive” (Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4) and took the saved into the presence of God. Now Hades only has the lost and those fallen angels who sinned before the Great Flood. Nonetheless, some of the references to Sheol/Hades do tell us what Hell would be one day:

• Job 24:19 “As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So the grave (Sheol) consumes those who have sinned.”
• Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell (Sheol)…”

 Hell is referred to in the Old Testament, albeit in elementary school language.

• In Isaiah 66, the prophet gives an imagery of what will happen to those who oppose God. Verse 24 “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” The ultimate disgrace would be for someone’s body to lie on the ground and be eaten by maggots or burned with fire. That’s hell – a place of unending punishment and disgrace.
• Daniel 12:2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Again, it is a warning that even the lost will be resurrected but to shame and contempt forever.

2. In the New Testament, Jesus referred to Hell more than anyone else.

• Keep in mind he hasn’t died on the cross and descended to Sheol/Hades to free the believers. So, he mentions the cities of Capernaum going down even further than Sodom into Hades for rejecting him despite the myriad of miracles. He promises Peter “on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” He describes the Rich man and Lazarus in Hades but in different places.
• But the word Jesus uses to depict Hell is Gehenna. It comes from 2 Hebrew words: “Gai” and “Hinnom” = Valley of Hinnom, just South and West of Jerusalem. Child sacrifices were offered here by the rebellious and idolatrous people of God. King Josiah had desecrated this valley. Jeremiah 7      32 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. 33The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them away.” Isaiah 30:33 “For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it.” In other words, it became a representation of the coming judgment in hell one day. It was a dumping ground for garbage and even the bodies of criminals were burned here. The smoke was always rising, the stench was horrible, wild animals were scouring for dead carcasses.
• Matthew 5:22 “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, “Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell (Gehenna) fire.”
• Mark 9       42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell (Gehenna) fire— 48 where “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
• Matthew 23:33 “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell (Gehenna)?”
• Even if the word Gehenna is not used, the idea is there, as in Matthew 22 when the man came to the feast in the wrong attire – 13 Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
• Also, in the passage we read in the opening where Jesus will separate his sheep from the goats – Matthew 25       41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire (Not Gehenna) prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 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.’”

3. The apostles declared of the coming day of judgment in hell.

• 2 Thessalonians 1       7 “…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 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. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 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.” How can God punish someone forever? That question is false. We fail to understand the holiness of God. One sin is too much.
• 2 Peter 2        4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (Tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”
• Jude       7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire…13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. The metaphorical and literal is not a problem once we realize that we are being told about a horrendous and terrifying place in a language we can relate with on this side.
• Finally, the Book of Revelation – Revelation 14        9 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, 10 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. 11 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.”
• Revelation 20       10 “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” That is forever!

4. Remember, I mentioned there are theological, philosophical, moral, and aesthetic issues involved. Although I believe that hell is more than just a “separation from God,” as C. S. Lewis believed, but his insights are helpful:

• Will God hold someone responsible who has never heard? That question is false. Everyone has an opportunity to acknowledge God, but they choose to reject him. Human beings would rather worship a god made in their own image, a god they can control. C. S. Lewis wrote in The Great Divorce – “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.” 

Personal Illustration: I am here because my dad, a Muslim, said, “Thy will be done.” 

• How can we live in heaven knowing that our loved ones are being punished in hell every single day with no chance of every getting out? The longer we live in heaven the more we will understand and have the mind and heart of God. We will see the lost as he sees them, rebellious and rejecting every mercy and grace of God. C. S. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain, “To enter heaven is to become more human than you ever succeeded in being on earth; to enter hell is to be banished from humanity. What is cast (or casts itself) into hell is not a man: it is “remains.” To be a complete man means to have the passions obedient to the will and the will offered to God: to have been a man — to be an ex-man or “damned ghost” — would presumably mean to consist of a will utterly centered in its self and passions utterly uncontrolled by the will.”
• The time to feel sorry and have compassion for the lost is now. It begins by changing the way we see them now. C. S. Lewis, wrote in The Weight of Glory, “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.”

Yes, a Holy God sends people to Hell to be punished forever, but he is also loving and he has made the way of escape through his Son, the second person of the Godhead, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If Hell was not hell, a real place of eternal conscious punishment, Jesus, God’s Son, the second person of the Godhead, would not have to die on the cross. 

• All one had to do was believe that he was coming. 
• All we have to do now is believe that he came 2000 years ago, died for our sins, and rose from the grave.
• Receiving Jesus is choosing heaven everlasting.
• Rejecting Jesus is choosing hell forever.
• Once we choose, we must share the good news with others.

Charles Spurgeon said in a sermon (The Wailing of Risca): “Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”

Where are you going when you die? Where are the people in your life going when they die? How do you see people all around you? Can you see Jesus pleading with everyone to be saved? Ezekiel 18:23 “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?