When we think of hell, we tend to envision a place of eternal fire with tormenter demons of ashen black with wings and pokers. While the flames are accurate, there is no evidence in Scripture that there are demonic overlords or tormentors. A priest named Gerald Johnson of Michigian recently claimed he went to hell for hidden unforgiveness and saw demons tormenting people, riding people like “slave-dogs” and doing concerts with secular music. It all sounds like Dante’s Inferno to me, and I am alarmed that his testimony makes it seem that some unforgivness Jesus said was hidden in his heart sent him to hell. That is a lie. We are forgiven of all our sins when we place our faith in Jesus. He promises us eternal life and that He will never let us perish nor slip from His hands, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16), and “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:26-30). The apostle Paul affirms that Jesus saved us when we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), and that by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing God raised Him from the dead secures our salvation, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13). Jesus nailed all our sins to the cross, even those hidden ones we don’t see. Jesus did say we must forgive (Matthew 6:14-15), but He doesn’t say you’ll go to hell if you harbor some unforgiveness that is unknown to you.
Back to hell, the place of fire and sulfur is majorly mythologized by Dante and Greek legends. It behooves us to take a look at the Scriptures to see what is in hell and what isn’t, so that we are not deceived.
Hell is a place of eternal fire and stinking sulfur:
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Hell is a place of torment:
“And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
Hell was originally created for the devil and his angels:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels..” (Matthew 25:41)
Anyone who is not in the Book of Life, the Lamb (Jesus)’s Book of those who are saved will go to hell:
“And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
Anyone who takes the Mark of Beast will go to Hell:
“And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:11)
Hell is a place away from God’s felt presence:
“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
In Hell it will be like a furnace and people will gnash their teeth and weep:
“And throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:50)
Dark Angels and Demons won’t be tormentors, they are in chains:
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” (2 Peter 2:24)
There are worms in hell and the fore does not quench:
“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 6:43-48)
“And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:24)
Hell can not prevail against belief in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God:
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
Jesus and the good angels will be able to see those tormented in hell, and their torment will be forever and ever:
“He also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:10-11)
Death and Hades will one day be thrown in hell:
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15)
Those in Heaven cannot cross to Hell, nor those in Hell cannot travel to Heaven due to a great chasm: you can’t get out of hell:
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:19-26)
There is no mention of black winged tormentors, nor do we need worry if we are in Lamb’s Book of Life which is achieved by believing in The Son of God who is Jesus Christ The Lord. What is important is we know what hell is and isn’t. Too many teachers of error claim hell to be a place for demons to joyfully torment the damned, but if that were true, why do they roam the earth seeking flesh? As did the Legion of demons who asked to be sent into the pigs (Matthew 8:28-34). Why didn’t they ask to be appointed overlord tormentors in hell? Because they arn’t! What hell is must only be what we find in the Scriptures. Amen.
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