Hell is Forever

Hell

Jude 21-23/Luke 16:19-31

13% of the 1850 verses that record the words of Jesus, deal with the subject of eternal judgment and Hell.

I.          Hell is not a word we need to avoid

            A.         Jude 21-23

·         In the Greek manuscripts, the word “fear” appears with “save” at the beginning of the sentence.

·         Two different methods are mentioned, compassion and Fear, instructions for dealing with different types of people.

·         Therefore, the context of this passage must mean that fear is a legitimate evangelism tool.

II.         Hell is eternal

A.         Mark 9:43-44 (NKJV)
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, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
44 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.

B.         This is mentioned twice more, in verses 46 and 48

Isaiah 66:24  "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."

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.

Matthew 25:46 46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Revelation 14:9-11 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."

III.        No repentance in Hell

A.         Matthew 13:41 - 42 (NKJV)

41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,  42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

            B.         This is referenced again in verse 50.

            C.         This “wailing and gnashing of teeth” literally gives the picture of someone who is in a fit of anger and rage, not sorry or repentant. Such is not the attitude of those in Hell.

IV.        All whose name are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire.

A.         Revelation 20:11 - 15 (NKJV)

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.  12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.  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.

V.         Different levels of punishment in Hell.

            A.         Romans 2:12; Luke 12:47-48

Romans 2:12   12For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law

Luke 12:47-48   47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

            B.         Just as there are different levels of rewards in Heaven, there are different levels of punishment in Hell.

            C.         People will be punished according to their response to the knowledge they have received.

VI.        We need not fear man, only God

            A.        Fear of God

Matthew 10:28  28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 12:4-5  4 " And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  5 "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!

B.         There is only one way to escape Hell and get to Heaven, Jesus Christ!

Acts 4:12   12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."