What is Hell?

This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Ignite the Light Ministries radio and podcast. It is our mission to help listeners develop a deeper relationship with Jesus by sharing what the Bible says and what it means. We aim to encourage and equip you to serve others, share the gospel, and reflect Christ in every aspect of your life. I'm Pastor Wyatt Cudd.

Thank you for tuning in. I had a question from the question box that we're going to be addressing today. Again, if you've enjoyed going through these different topics suggested by you guys, question box is right over there if you'd like to suggest a topic. We're going to be going through the month of August, so I've got a couple more Sundays, and then we'll start back with 2 Thessalonians. Um The question was, can you preach hellfire and brimstone?

And the answer is I'm going to try.

So today I'm gonna be going through a the doctrine of hell What is hell? Why does hell exist? How could a good God send a good person to hell just because they don't know Jesus. And how do we apply the knowledge of hell to our daily life? These are the questions that I'm going to seek to answer this morning.

So Archimedes was one of the greatest of the ancient Greek mathematicians and scientists, and during his time, he was working on a math problem so intensely, his city was being conquered while he was working on this math problem by a Roman army in. 212 BC.

Now, this guy was so dedicated to his craft, so focused on his work, that when that final assault came into his city and breached the walls, He ignored it. He sat there and just kept working on his math problem in the sand while the enemy poured into the city. As the Roman soldiers came down the street, Uh where where the where he was, he ignored them. He continued to work on his math problem all the way up until somebody ran him through with a sword and gave no resistance.

Now, many unbelievers are kind of like This guy Archimedes. They have their head in the sand with what they're doing. Oblivious to what's really going on, oblivious to the spiritual reality. this world until it's Too late to do anything about it. Make no mistake, there is an afterlife.

There is a heaven. There is a hell. These are the only two options that are presented in Scripture. And as I describe this doctrine, it should be more obvious why that is, why there's only two options.

So let's tackle this first problem. What is hell? Or first question: What is hell?

So in the Bible we have a couple Hebrew and Greek words that are used to describe what we call hell. In the Hebrew we have the word Sheol, which is S-H-E-O-L. It's the word used in the Old Testament.

Now Shiol has some more nuance than how we understand hell. Sheol can be thought of as the early Jewish understanding as the land of the dead. Not necessarily hell itself. Both heaven and hell would fall under this category of Sheol. It's the land of the dead.

Now, when we're trying to understand what is the Old Testament, this word sheol, what does it mean? How do we interpret it? It's important for us to understand that the Old Testament Judaism that we see puts very little emphasis. on the afterlife.

Now we see 1 Samuel, King Saul goes to a medium to contact the prophet Samuel from the dead.

So there's certainly an understanding that something happens after death. But the Old Testament Jews did not like thinking about Sheol. They were encouraged not to think about it, not really to consider it. Much. Wherever the dead go when they die, that's Shiol.

It's interesting to me. Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone else in the Bible, and honestly, if it wasn't. For Jesus, we might still have this understanding of the afterlife. Sheol, a concept without understanding of heaven, hell. The Jews spoke of Sheol the same way we would speak of death.

Or the grave.

Now, in the New Testament, we see two different sects of Judaism. You got the Pharisees and you got the Sadducees, right? You guys know the difference? The Pharisees, Sadducees? Here's an easy way to remember it.

The Pharisees believed in an afterlife The Sadducees did not. That's why they were sad, you see?

Sorry. Uh So we might wonder how could they arrive at that conclusion? How could you assume that there is no afterlife?

Well We understand the word shool. It makes sense. The land of the dead? What is it? Uh We don't really know.

Heaven in the Old Testament, it's talked about, but it was talked about as the sky and the place where God resides. Wherever we go is where we go. They are dead. There is nothing more to be said. That's why you read the Psalms and it says things like this: like Psalm 89:47.

It says, remember how fleeting my life is. For what futility have you created all humanity? Who can live and not see death? Who can escape the power of the grave? Or Psalm 39.

What is gained if I am silenced? If I go down to the pit, Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Oh, that's in stark contrast to what Paul says, is that there is everything to be gained in death in Christ.

Now, here in Psalm 39:5, you have made my days a mere hand-breadth. The span of my years are nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere shadow in vain, heaping wealth without knowing where it's finally. Going.

And look, we We would never... Pray to God this way unless Uh we assumed this was it, and Sheol, what comes next? is still a mystery. Again, this is not to say Old Testament Judaism had no concept of humans having a spirit or soul or the immaterial, but what I'm trying to communicate here is Sheol, these terms, it's murky. until we get to the New Testament.

Now, in the Old Testament, we do see the word spirit, we do see the word soul used, but spirit is often used when speaking about the spirit of God, and soul in the Hebrew word is nephesh. Which is an all-encompassing word. It's a person, a being, mind, body, emotion, thoughts. All of you, nephesh is the Hebrew word. The immaterial spirit, as we understand, It's murky.

It might be in there, maybe not. And so, this is why when Jesus shows up, You have two different sects of thought, Pharisees, Sadducees, you remember the difference? Uh And how revolutionary it was. Jesus reveals To the woman at the well, a pariah, an outcast in her community. That soon there will come a time that has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father and Spirit.

And in truth, because God is spirit. He chose an outcast. to reveal that too. He didn't choose a Pharisee, a Sadducee, somebody with a reputation or in a high position of authority. He chose an outcast.

So what I'll tell you with that is don't ever count yourself out. Because God never will. In the Old Testament, you might say early Judaism, it's a religion of questions. Modern-day Judaism still is. How is God going to fix this?

What comes after? Is it all for nothing? God promised a Messiah. Who is he? Christianity's the religion with the answers.

Got some feedback here.

So this is Shiol. Uh relatively ambiguous Land of the dead that we see in the Old Testament.

Now we're going to move to the New Testament here. We got two words for hell that we see: we have Hades. And we have Gehenna.

So let's look at Hades.

So Luke 16, 19 through 31. It's the rich man and Lazarus.

So starting at verse 19 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered in sores and longing to eat from what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came to lick. His source. The time came when the beggar died, and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.

The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades where he was in torment He looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.

So he called to them, Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue, because I'm in agony in this fire. But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime You received your good things.

Well Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here And you are in agony. Besides all this, between us is a great chasm that's been set in place so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. He answered then, I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them.

So they will also not come to this place of torment. And Abraham replied, They have Moses. And they have the prophets. Let them listen to them. No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.

And he said to them, If they do not listen to Moses or the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.

Some foreshadowing there. the unbeliever's reaction to Jesus' resurrection. But here we have the term Hades used. Hades is a temporary place. For the dead.

We see in this story, verse 23, the rich man. Abraham, Lazarus are all in this place. Hades, but only the rich man is in hellish torment. Lazarus is in heavenly comfort with a chasm in between them.

So the Greek word Hades, much like the Hebrew word sheol, it's this neutral land of the dead that would encompass our understanding of both heaven and hell. But what we have in this story is a picture of heaven. and hell, distinct and different places. And once you're there, there's no going back, there's no turning around, there's no second chance. We've had our whole life of second chances at this point.

Once we pass, that is it. Instantly into the presence of the Father or instantly in hell by our own choices. Revelation 1.18 says Jesus speaks to John saying, Do not be afraid. I am the first, I am the last, I am the living one. I was dead, and look, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys to death.

and Hades Christ is a ruler over all of the afterlife and death. itself. No.

So that's Hades. Uh The next term here is gehenna that we see in the Greek. Mark 9:43, it says, If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It's better for you to go your entire life maimed than with two hands and go into hell or genon, which is a parsing of Gehenna, where the fire never goes out. Verse 47: We seek Gehenna again, and if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out.

Better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than have two eyes to be thrown into hell, Genon, where the worms that eat them do not die and the fire is not quenched. Quenched.

So Gehenna There's no mistake, it is the place of final judgment and eternal separation from God.

So before the final judgment we see in Revelation We will be going to an intermediary place, heaven or hell, instantly in the presence of the Father, instantly out. That would be under the blanket term Sheol, under the blanket term Hades. Um After the final judgment, we will either step into the new creation and new earth with God, or will we be cast into Gehenna, the lake of fire, where there is eternal torment, fire, outer darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

So what is hell? Hell is an intermediary place. separated from God. awaiting final judgment. Gehenna, the lake of fire.

Hell is It is an eternal mirror. That holds up a reflection of all the mistakes we have made, all of the sin, all of the wickedness, and it shows us just how ugly and inhuman we've become. That's hell. Hell is a self-inflicted wound that never heals. Hell is a house with no windows.

Built by pride, furnished by sin, and sealed shut from the light that once knocked. at our door. Hell is an echo of our conscience. that we silenced, where every time we said, I'll change tomorrow, became, I never did. Hell is the final.

God, my will be done. God doesn't impose hell on anyone. He permits it. when his love is refused. The last one I like, hell.

is outer darkness. Matthew 8, 12, where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. I love this one because he got this picture. That God is at the center of everything. like a bright burning sun.

And we're either moving towards him or we're moving away from him into outer darkness. We're never standing still. We're either moving towards God in this life or away from him. And since God's love, mercy, and compassion are infinite in their depth, we can move closer and closer and closer to God for eternity. The depth that we can know God, it's infinite.

But we can also move Away from God. Into outer darkness.

Now, sin progresses, y'all. We don't stand still in our sin, moving towards God or away from God. If we're moving away from God, sin and wickedness progresses in its magnitude in our hearts. There's no end to the outer darkness. Either.

Hell isn't just eternal punishment. It is the result of rejecting that one true source of joy. And rejecting this source of all that's good, the only thing that can be left. Is pain There can only be suffering. It's not just a physical torment, it's spiritual alienation from our Creator.

And knowing who God is. The torment I think that's going to be the least painful part. Like Why is such a place necessary? Why would God create or allow such a place to exist? Because God is perfectly good.

God is holy and His holiness demands Justice. Romans 2, 5 through 6 says, The unrepentant heart stores up wrath against themselves When God's righteous judgment is revealed, God will repay each person according to what they have done. God gives each one of us free will. And when humanity pursues something other than God, hell is the honoring of that choice. They're allowed a life separate from God.

Now, we have that image of God in the center and outer darkness everywhere else. But you can choose whatever direction you want in God. You can choose any direction you want. Other than God, if you so choose, and God will honor That choice. You can deceive yourself as to where the source of good is, and you know, maybe it's not God, maybe it's somewhere else.

But as you move towards outer darkness, It's going to be harder and harder and harder until it's impossible to deceive yourself. I am in outer darkness. I am in hell. You ever hear that saying? If you love something, you have to let it go.

And if it comes back, it's yours forever. Y'all ever heard that saying? I'm scared to try that with my wife. Uh She's a little bit. Probably.

come back, but uh I don't wanna risk it. Um But this is exactly That God loves us enough to allow us. to let go of us, to allow us a choice. We can lie to ourselves about where the beauty of the world comes from, but when we're in outer darkness, we'll be able to lie to ourselves no more. And God takes no delight.

In us receiving punishment or judgment, but he loves us enough to honor our choice.

Okay. Here's the next question. Here's the big one. I've heard this. asked a lot by different people.

How could a good and loving God send a good person to hell? just because they don't believe In Jesus. That doesn't seem fair, right? I mean, they were a good person. They helped their community.

They were a great parent. When the wife asked them to do the dishes, they always did it and never let it pile up in a giant heap. Uh I'm still working on that myself. What do we say guys when we don't want to do the dishes? You gotta let them soak.

Uh But this person, this person was good by all standards, and they just rejected Jesus. They ended up in hell. How could a good God? allow that. All right.

Imagine for me you got a glass of water. Not just tap water, like the the nice, bougie, expensive water. Like what's the best brand of water that's out there? Has anybody got the best brand of water?

Well water.

Well water, okay.

Okay. I was thinking like that Fiji water. You know, it's the nice blue container with the little pink flower on it. Ooh, that is going to taste like a holiday. Uh their title is Earth's Finest Water.

With natural electrolytes, it's just salt from some mine, but who cares? It's exotic.

Okay. So you got your glass of water. It's going to be the best drink ever. It's going to satisfy you. Here's the question: You got your glass of water?

Everybody hold up their glass of water. You got your glass of water. How many drops? of raw sewage Is it gonna take for you to not want to drink that glass of water any more? Yeah.

Just one, right? Yeah. But what if it's a really good glass of water? That's not fair of you. What if it's filtered in a way that's super eco-friendly?

What if you have a whole gallon of water instead of a glass? It's got electrolytes, and maybe it's even sparkling water. You've got all these other good qualities to the water. Are you telling me you're gonna judge that water by one? Tiny little drop of raw sewage.

Yum It's gross. I can't tolerate that. It's the same thing with God. And our sin. All it takes is one.

And Romans 3:23 says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It doesn't matter by human standards how good someone is, if they got electrolytes in them or not. The glass is tainted. God will not tolerate it.

So, why would God send a good person to hell? The question. Only exists because we struggle to grasp the concept of God's holiness being completely pure, completely perfect, completely separated. From wickedness. This question exists because we fail to see just how good God is and just how much we fall short.

They're a good person. By whose standard? Yours? Bye. When we die and stand naked before God, Is either one of us going to be the judge?

The judge's standard is what matters. God is the standard. God is the standard of good. And that glass better be pure. That's why Jesus is the difference.

Hey there, I hope this sermon has enriched your day. If you like this message, I want to personally invite you to join us for Sunday worship. We have two locations in Virginia, Trinity Methodist Church in Concord and Mount Comfort Methodist Church in Appomattox. Come join us Sunday morning at 9.45 and we will help you get connected. As always, I'm Pastor Wyatt Cudd.

Thank you for tuning in.