The Truth About Hell Part II - Soul Choice Ministries

In another recent video, we discussed three unbiblical beliefs about hell. Today, we will look at two more and, again, compare them to the Bible.

Many people misinterpret or twist the Scriptures because they hold a false view of God and ignore the truth. False beliefs are appealing to those who reject biblical truth and do not want to be held accountable for their sins, and therefore reject eternal punishment in hell.

Previously, we discussed the following beliefs:

Hell does not exist because God is a loving God.
Hell is only temporary in order to punish people enough to purge them of their sins or to spiritually improve them in some way, after which they can enter heaven.
There is no need for hell because people are experiencing hell on earth now.

The Bible clearly refutes these false beliefs. Now let us look at two more views:

Hell is merely the absence of God’s love and does not involve suffering.
There is no one in hell now. Some will be sent to hell on Judgment Day, but they will be annihilated.

Addressing the First Belief

Hell is merely the absence of God’s love and does not involve suffering.

It certainly is a place absent from His love. However, it also involves many horrors, as we will see.

Hell was prepared for the devil and not for man. Jesus used the word prepared. It is the same word He used in John 14:2, where He says that He goes to prepare a place for us in heaven. In the preparation of hell, God removed His attributes, or His goodness.

James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights.” God removed His attributes; therefore, hell is absent of all good because all good comes from God. It is not Mother Nature providing the good things we enjoy in life. It is Father God.

Hell involves real, literal fire; extreme heat; thirst; hunger; prison cells; pits of fire; foul odors; no physical strength; shame; no purpose; isolation; deafening screams; no rest; and absolutely no hope. Scripture for all of this is outlined in my book and in video teachings and podcasts on our website.

Scripture is clear that hell is a place of torment. People create their own interpretation of hell and God, yet they do not even know what Jesus said about hell. They also have no understanding of God’s nature, His ways, His justice, His holiness, His righteousness, and His great mercy demonstrated through the Cross.

When people cling to the belief that God is only love, they define “love” as tolerance and acceptance of their sin. They clearly have not read these statements made by Jesus:

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.’”
Matthew 25:46: “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 24:51: “And will cut him in pieces and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This refers to an evil servant who does not obey.
Mark 9:47–48: “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 fire, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”
Matthew 22:13: “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 12:4–5: “My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him.”
Mark 3:29: “He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”
Matthew 13:49–50: “The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

If there is no suffering or pain, then why is there weeping and gnashing of teeth, fire, burning, darkness, maggots, extreme thirst, and hopelessness? Many other verses further describe the suffering in hell.

In Luke 16, Jesus said that the rich man in hell was in torment in the flame and was desperate for just one drop of water. Hell is obviously much more than the absence of God’s love.

Addressing the Second False Belief

No one is in hell now, but some will be sent to hell on Judgment Day and will be annihilated.

How convenient. Again, this removes accountability for sin. They believe that those who have died are in a resting place awaiting trial, and that only the very wicked will be annihilated, while the rest will go to heaven.

First, the word annihilated is not in the Bible.

Second, there are many verses showing that only two places exist after death, and both are eternal (Proverbs 15:24; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 13:30, 40, 48; Matthew 25:46; John 5:29; Mark 9:47; Mark 16:16; Acts 24:15; 1 John 5:12).

There is no resting place awaiting trial. If you are a Christian, the moment you die, you will be in heaven (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8). If you are not a Christian, the moment you die, you will be in hell (Luke 16:23). There is no in-between place such as purgatory.

It is not only extremely wicked people who will be sent to hell, but all who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior (John 3:36; John 6:40; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:13). Ignoring Jesus Christ is also a rejection of Him and His salvation. Wickedness, in God’s eyes, includes all who reject Him and do not serve Him (Ecclesiastes 3:17; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 13:38).

The belief that you will be spared hell because you are a “pretty good person” will not stand. Every one of us is a sinner and deserves hell. We are not justified by good behavior or good works, as Ephesians 2:8–9 and Titus 3:5 state. We are only acceptable to a holy and just God by trusting in what Jesus did for us and receiving His forgiveness, which was made possible by His shed blood.

Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission.”
Romans 5:9 says, “Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
First Peter 1:18–19 says, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ.”

To say that no one is in hell now shows a failure to read what Jesus taught in Luke 16 regarding the rich man in hell. In Luke 16:19–31, the rich man is alive, conscious, thirsty, aware, and in torment.

Additional verses confirm that people are currently in hell and conscious:

Isaiah 14:9–10: People in hell speak and recognize one another.
Ezekiel 31:21: The mighty speak from the midst of hell.
Mark 9:43–48: Eternal fire and undying worms make no sense if annihilation occurs.
Luke 13:24–28: Weeping and gnashing of teeth require conscious existence.
Psalm 11:6: Fire and brimstone are poured out on the wicked.
Job 15:30: “He shall not depart out of darkness.”
Psalm 49:19: “They shall never see light.”
Isaiah 24:22: Prison imagery confirms continued existence.
Revelation 20:12–15: Death and Hades give up the dead for judgment before being cast into the lake of fire.

There are people in hell now, and there will be no annihilation. Do not fall for distortions and twisting of clear Scripture. Hell is torment, and it is eternal for all who reject Jesus Christ.