HELL AND ITS RESIDENTS

INTRO

Illustration on Hell:

- Daughter: “Mom, my fiancee does not believe in hell...”

- Mother: “Just marry him, leave the hell part with me!”

(3 Images Hell + Imagem Tema)

The subject “HELL” is often on the top of the list of CONTROVERSIAL and UNCOMFORTABLE themes of preaching;

C.S. Lewis, in his book, “The problem of pain” writes:

“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than hell, if it lay in my power.”

Many pastors and leaders do not preach much about hell, and this is why:

Less than 5% of people believe in hell;

98% believe they they will NOT go to hell.

Nonetheless, Hell it is absolutely real! The NT speaks about it for 162 times. Jesus Himself spoke about hell over 70 times;

In fact, Jesus doesn’t only reference hell, he describes it in great detail. He says it is a place of eternal torment (Luke 16:23), of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48), where people will gnash their teeth in anguish and regret (Matt. 13:42), and from which there is no return, even to warn loved ones (Luke 16:19–31). He calls hell a place of “outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30), comparing it to “Gehenna” (Matt. 10:28), which was a trash dump outside the walls of Jerusalem where rubbish was burned and maggots abounded. Jesus talks about hell more than he talks about heaven, and describes it more vividly. There’s no denying that Jesus knew, believed, and warned about the absolute reality of hell.

The word “Infierno”, Gehenna, has its roots in the OT. The valley of the sons of Hinnom, where trash and all filthy things were burned:

Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley marked the western and southern edges of Jerusalem, beginning along the Western Hill and ending where the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys meet. In the Old Testament, it was often the site where people of Judah sacrificed their children to Baal (2 Kings 23:20; 2 Chron. 28:3,4; Jer. 7:31; 19:5, 6; 32:35).

King Manasseh of Judah added to the negative reputation of the Hinnom Valley by sacrificing some of his own sons to Baal worship there (2 Chron. 33:6). He also practiced sorcery and witchcraft in defiance of God's law. King Josiah, Manasseh's grandson, later destroyed many of these pagan structures and practices. But by that time, Israel was so involved in paganism that God's judgment soon fell upon the people.

Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley also became the perpetual burning-garbage dump and city sewer. Residents sometimes called it the "valley of the sewer" or "the valley of the pagans."

By Jesus' time, the Greek translation of Hinnom Valley, Gehenna, became a synonym for hell. Thus the English versions of the Bible translate "Valley of Hinnom" in the New Testament as "hell." With its pagan history and its burning sewer stench, Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley serves as a vivid metaphor for both the Christian and Jewish concept of hell.

Hell is considered a place somewhere down below:

Matthew 11:23 NKJV

And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Hell it’s LITERAL. It is not an idea, it’s a place!

The Bible speaks about it many times, for example:

Deuteronomy 32:22 NKJV

For a fire is kindled in My anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Psalm 9:17 NKJV

The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.

Revelation 20:14 NKJV

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Uncomfortable or not for us, Hell does exist, and whether believe or not in its existence, does not change the fact that hell is a reality, and that is the reason why we need to examine this subject under the revelation of the Word. (We will examine several Bible passages)

Talk about hell is absolutely important, especially in the times we are living right now.

It is fundamental to understand that hell was NOT created for mankind:

Matthew 25:41 NKJV

“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:

Hell is OPTIONAL, if on the other side you belong to Jesus Christ:

Luke 9:56 NKJV

For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

Because of the importance and relevance of this biblical teaching, our theme for today will be:

HELL AND ITS RESIDENTS

MAIN TEXT

Luke 16:19–31 NKJV

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Imagem Lazaro

A PARABLE?

There is much discussion if this text is a parable or not, but once real names were used, many scholars believe that it was real facts. But does it matter whether or not this is a parable? I don’t think so and neither did Calvin. We agree that the main issue is comprehending “the doctrine which it contains.”

NOTE:

IF this was a parable, it would be the only parable in the Bible that describes certain things that are outside of the realm of human experience. All the other parables talk about things that we are familiar with such as birds, seed, fields, pearls, wheat, barns, leaven, fish, etc. (see Matthew 13, etc.).  This passage is different because it talks about what happens to two men after death, and this is a realm where none of us have had any personal experience. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual significance but Luke 16 transcends the realm of the earthly.

I personally believe it is NOT a parable.

Some important considerations on this text:

1. Social Classes are not considered in hell

Lazarus in Heaven and the rich man in hell were consequences of their particular lives on earth, nothing to do with social privileges; Abraham, for instance, was very rich and was in Heaven, as noted by St. Augustine;

2. There will be a sense of awareness in hell

Luke 16:23 NKJV

And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Book “23 minutes in Hell” - Bill Wiese: “You can feel all the horrible smell and horror of hell, the rotten stench is like the worst thing you ever felt multiplied by thousands of times.”

3. There will be recognition of people in hell

Luke 16:24 NKJV

“Then 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.’

The rich man continues to treat Lazarus as beneath him, refusing to address him directly and having the gall to ask that Lazarus quench his thirst—the very thing he wouldn’t do for Lazarus.

4. There will be Memories and Conscience

Luke 16:27–28 NKJV

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

Different levels of punishment as well

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT HELL

We have seen that hell is real, but after all...

WHO WILL GO TO HELL?

Matthew 25:41 NKJV

“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:

Non-repented sinners:

Revelation 20:15 NKJV

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

2 Peter 2:20–22 NKJV

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

Revelation 21:8 NKJV

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

AFTER THE JUDGEMENT, THERE WILL BE THE “LAKE OF FIRE”:

Fallen Angels; Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet;

Death Herself;

HELL itself.

DOES GOD WANT TO SEND PEOPLE TO HELL?

Absolutely NOT! It’s a personal choice!

1 Timothy 2:3–4 NKJV

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

HOW CAN I ESCAPE THE CONDEMNATION OF HELL?

1. To receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and live for Him, according to His word, because Jesus CONQUERED DEATH AND HELL:

Revelation 1:18 NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

LIVING BY THE SCRIPTURES

Luke 16:29 NKJV

Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

The Scriptures are ENOUGH! All of God’s revelation is there, and men should listen to it. Note: we must be careful in trying to put signs (resurrection, like the rich man intended) ahead of the pure teaching of the Word.

FINAL APPLICATIONS

There is no such a thing as “soul-sleep.” If Jesus believed the doctrine of soul-sleep he would never have told a story like this;

As far as salvation and eternal life, we have to understand very clearly that there is NO second chances, NO “reincarnation”, NO “purgatory”:

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

We must also remember that the torment in Hell will be FOREVER!

Revelation 14:11 NKJV

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.”

Isaiah 66:24 NKJV

“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.”

Now, this is the most important question of your whole life:

WHERE WILL YOU BE FOR ALL ETERNITY?

2 Thessalonians 1:9 NKJV

These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Remember, if you are born twice (flesh and spirit), you die once (physically); but if you are born once (only physically), you will die twice (physically and spiritually, which is the second death):

Revelation 21:8 NKJV

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Let’s carefully consider this:

JESUS said that nobody believed in the Flood, until it came, nobody believed Jerusalem would be invaded, until it was utterly destroyed; we human beings always have the tendency to believe things after they happen:

Matthew 24:37–39 NKJV

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Our main mission as Christians is to preach the Gospel and warn everyone about the reality of eternity:

2 Corinthians 5:11 NKJV

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

My last consideration:

If you were driving on a highway where people were coming to you and saying that every single car was going horribly into a deadly cliff, would you keep driving towards it???

Even if you “think” hell is something absolutely difficult, with all the evidence of the truth of the Word of God, proven time and time again, do we really want to risk our eternity in hell?

By the wonderful grace of God, and in complete opposition to hell, we have the reality of HEAVEN!

Let’s follow and obey the Lord, and spend eternity with Him!!

Let’s pray.