Where or What is Hell?  Is it a literal place?

You don’t hear very many sermons about HELL today. Most theologians, seminarians, and pastors today no longer believe in HELL.  Most Christians today no longer believe in HELL and the majority of the world today believes HELL is either right here on earth, or that it is the current life we live. 

Preachers today do not address the issues of sin or God’s judgment on sin, but rather focus on love, unity, and grace. These are great topics and worthy of preaching, however, they are not what Paul would call "The Whole Counsel of God".  Acts 20:27: "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."  

Jude declared:  Jude 22,23:  "And of some have compassion, making a difference:  And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."   

What, or where then, is HELL?   

Turn with me to 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:" 

2 Peter 2:4-9   "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; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 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; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:"

Psalms 9:17   "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." 

Hell In the Old Testament 

The word HELL occurs thirty one times in the Old Testament.  

The first time the word HELL is used in our King James Bible is Deuteronomy 32:22 "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." 

The Hebrew word commonly translated "hell" is sheol. In the Old Testmanet the word Hell (sheol) has two meanings. Sometimes it means the place where the bodies of the dead are laid (Psalm 6:5; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Isaiah 38:18,19). But it normally refers to the place where the soul and spirit went upon the death of a person. (Genesis 37:35; Psalm 9:17; 16:10; 30:3; 55:15; Proverbs 15:24; 23:14). The common Hebrew word for the grave is not sheol, but rather qeber (keh’-ber). This word, qeber, is used in such passages as Genesis 35:20; 50:5. 

Hell In the New Testament 

The word HELL occurs twenty three times in the New Testament.  

The first time the word is used in the New Testament is in Matthew 5:22 "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." 

From the Bible alone, we see that HELL is: 

A place of punishment – Matthew 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."  

A place of banishment – 2 Thessalonians 1:9 "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" 

A place of fire & worms – Mark 9:42-48 "And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 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: 44  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And 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: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And 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: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

A place darkness – Jude 1:13 "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." 

A place of torment – Revelation 20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." 

A place of consciousness and feeling – Luke 16:23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." 

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." 

A place without hope of escape – Luke 16:26 "And 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." 

A place of unfulfilled desires and unanswered prayers – Luke 16:27-31 "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." 

A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth – Matthew 25:30 "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Hell is no joke! Hell is a very real, and very horrible place! If you have not believed the Gospel and received Christ as your Savior, it will be your abode for all of eternity. No, Hell was not designed for mankind but for Satan and his angels, however it will be the final home of many who reject Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior.

Paul wrote that Christ is coming "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 with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9  

Are you thinking?  If you are:  That's Good!

 If you're not saved, you need to Repent of your sins and call upon Christ to save you right now.

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