Hell Exists
Why That Matters
What must God do for humanity to deserve eternal judgment?
Answer: Nothing.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Adam was humanity’s representative and sinned, so humanity is born into sin.
Here’s another question: What must God do for humanity to deserve eternal life?
Answer: He must give up His Son. Selah
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Humanity was already on the road to damnation, and God did not have to send His Son. But if God wanted people to be saved from their sins, then the death of Christ Jesus was required.
If we had a true spiritual awareness, we would not be amazed at hell’s severity but at our own depravity.
The Removal of Hell
Denominations within Christianity differ only on secondary and tertiary matters of the faith. Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Protestants, Pentecostals, and those attending non-denominational churches agree on the essentials of Christianity. Essentials such as the doctrines of God, Man, Salvation, the Bible, and the Consummation are points of agreement and harmony among Christian denominations.
Once the essential doctrines of Christianity become altered, then that group is no longer considered a Christian denomination. For example, believing that Jesus Christ was not God or that the Bible in its original autograph was not divinely inspired, inerrant, and infallible, or that salvation is gained by observing the Mosaic law — such beliefs would not be found within a Christian denomination since they alter the essential doctrines of Christianity.
It’s been an interesting time on Medium. This July will mark my third year as a member. I’ve made some friendships with fellow authors who have encouraged me and my writing. I’ve also had my eyes opened to the numerous types of Christianity there apparently are, such as those who identify themselves as liberal Christians, progressive Christians, and even atheist Christians (they would say they are morally atheist while theologically Christian). While many of these groups would deny being a denomination, they are movements or “emerging groups” that can be found within any denomination (reminiscent of when Paul warned the Ephesian elders that savage wolves would come from within in Acts 20). And they radically alter the essential doctrines of Christianity.
One such truth that has become altered by today’s culture is the existence of hell. Let me say at the beginning that I’m not writing to defend the existence of hell because I’m insensitive to the billions of souls that would be tormented in hell. I don’t wake up every morning thinking about how vital hell is or go to bed dreaming of hell. I’m writing to defend the reality and existence of hell because it’s a real place, according to the Bible. Yet, believing hell is real, I read Medium headlines like “Hell Doesn’t Exist in the Bible,” “Why Hell Can’t Be True,” “You Can’t Love Jesus and Believe in Hell,” “The Compelling Case Against the Existence of Hell,” and “To Hell With the God Who Sends People to Hell” and what am I to do? These hell-denying articles are harmful to individuals and society because they’re supposedly written from a Christian perspective, yet they only reflect the beliefs that are trending within the church. And I care about people; I do. So, I’m writing to defend the existence of hell from a Biblical perspective, and if you read this entire article, you might be surprised to discover this topic has implications that matter to you, too.
We may define hell as:
“A place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked.”
Objection #1: Words and Meaning
Before proceeding, I must address one objection. Blame it on my OCD, but I like reserving all the objections for the end and systematically working through them. However, this objection won’t wait since it functions as a lens to view everything else. The first objection is, “The original language of the Bible never used the word ‘hell.’” I don’t know how this objection persuades some that the matter is settled. The Bible doesn’t use the word ‘Trinity,’ either — Am I to believe that the God of the Bible is not triune? The Declaration of Independence doesn’t use the word ‘Freedom’ — Is not the theme of independence freedom? Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech never used the word ‘United’ — Yet was not the heart of Dr. King’s dream for children of all races to be able to come together, join hands, unite, and sing of their equality as fellow human beings?
For example, if I read the following sentence in a book: “Danny, grab that shaped covering to provide your head with shade and relief from the sun’s heat,” what do you think Danny is to grab? A hat! Even though the word ‘hat’ never appeared in the sentence, the meaning of hat appeared. The purpose of words is to carry meaning, so as long as the meaning is understood, the words do their job.
Now, Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) is a Hebrew word that means a place of the dead. Topheth (תֹּפֶת) is another Hebrew term primarily used in the context of the Valley of Hinnom (Gehinnom) near Jerusalem. The Greek translation of Gehinnom is Gehenna. The Valley of Hinnom (Gehinnom or Gehenna) was associated with the burning of refuse and, according to some, ancient sacrifices, including child sacrifices. The English word hell is nowhere to be found in the original languages. But remember, which is more important: The actual word or the meaning? The Bible teaches a lot about the substance without using the word “hell.”
I will continue to use the word “hell” in this article to encapsulate the substance we are taught from the Bible. I am starting with what Jesus taught about hell.
Jesus Taught the Existence of Hell
Some of the most robust assertions that there is a hell come from Jesus Christ. He had more to say about hell than concerning heaven.
Jesus warned,
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Fear is used here in two ways. The first involves fright and terror, while the second is awe and reverence. Notice that not even Satan can kill the soul. It should also be noted that “destroy” does not mean annihilation here; instead, appolumi (destroy) conveys the notion of significant loss or ruin. Paul uses the same term in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, where he speaks of “eternal destruction” — a phrase that would not make sense if “destruction” means annihilation, to cease to exist. Jesus’s point here is to revere God, who alone has the power of salvation and eternal judgment.
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus said that at the final judgment, God would say “to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matthew 25:41).
Of the seriousness of the danger of hell, Jesus warned,
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out” (Mark 9:43).
The reality of hell is evident from a vivid story told by Jesus in Luke 16. This story is unlike a parable since, in it, Jesus uses the actual name of a person (Lazarus). The story concerned the fate after the death of a rich man and a beggar, Lazarus:
“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.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers — so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’” (Luke 16:19–31)
So… The English word “hell” was not used. Nevertheless, here’s what Jesus taught:
· Matthew 10:28 — There is a place where both the physical body and the soul are brought to ruin by God.
· Matthew 25:41 — In contrast to those inheriting the eternal kingdom, there is a place reserved for the devil, his angels, and all who reject Jesus as their savior. This place will be one of eternal judgment.
· Mark 9:43 — The realness of the torment to be experienced in this place I call hell is to motivate one to do whatever is necessary, not to find oneself in hell. It is a torment that never ceases but goes on forever.
· Luke 16:19–31 — The rich man was in torment and anguish in a flame. There are no second chances after death since there is a chasm between heaven and hell. The rich man is conscious in hell, for he speaks and remembers his five brothers.
Eternal, conscious, torment, and anguish. Sure, don’t call it hell… call it whatever you want! The reality is there, and Jesus taught us as much.
The Bible Teaches That There Is a Hell
The author of Hebrews wrote, “Man is destined to die once and after that face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
The apostle Paul spoke of everlasting punishment, saying:
“And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:7–9).
Perhaps the most graphic depiction of hell is from the apostle John in Revelation:
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 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 20:11–15).
God’s Justice Demands Hell
I think one of the reasons people don’t see why the existence of hell matters is they don’t understand God’s righteousness. God is just (Romans 2). He is so pure and untainted that he cannot even look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). To explain this more deeply, I’m going to borrow from an article I recently wrote called “Unveiling Grace.”
Imagine a courtroom scenario where the evidence is overwhelmingly conclusive that the defendant is guilty. The judge clears his throat to read the verdict and punishment. The judge declares, “Not guilty!” then looks at the defendant and winks, saying, “Try to stay out of trouble from now on.” Watching a judge in a courtroom of justice sweep the crime under the rug and wink it off, what would you think about this type of judge?
God is righteous and, as such, will not simply wink at sin but will judge it. Why? Because while sin can be (and often is) committed by people against other people, ultimately, all sin is an affront against the moral lawgiver, God. Sin offends God, finally, not people. Laws of morality extend from God’s character, so where immorality exists, there is a proverbial slap-to-the-face of God’s character. Sin devalues God in the sight of His creation; it lies about God’s trustworthiness and challenges God’s value, righteousness, and holiness. Therefore, since God is righteous, then He will judge sin appropriately.
As Abraham declared, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). You see, the existence of a place of punishment for the unbeliever after this life is necessary to maintain the justice of God. Otherwise, there would be no real justice were there no place of punishment for the demented souls of Stalin and Hitler, who initiated the merciless slaughter of multimillions. If there is no hell, then there’s no justice at the end of the age, and God would not be a just judge. God’s righteousness demands that there is a hell.
God’s Love Demands Hell
The Bible asserts that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Love cannot act coercively, only persuasively. A God of love cannot force people to love him. Forced love is not love; it is rape. God always gives “space” to others. He does not force himself upon them against their will. Therefore, those who do not choose to love God must be allowed not to love him. Those who do not wish to be with him must be allowed to be separated from him.
The Cross of Christ Implies Hell
The cross is at the center of Christianity (1 Corinthians 1:17–18; 15:3). Without it, there is no salvation (Romans 4:25; Hebrews 10:10–14). It is the very purpose for which Christ came into the world (Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10). Without the cross, there is no salvation (John 10:1, 9–10; Acts 4:12). Only through the cross can we be delivered from our sins (Romans 3:21–26). Jesus suffered great agony and even separation from his Father on the cross (Hebrews 2:10–18; 5:7–9). But why the cross and all the suffering unless there is a hell?
This is why Jesus was sent to the world: To rescue all those who place their faith in him from the agony of God’s judgment poured out in hell. If hell was not a real place, then Jesus never needed to come to the world.
So, we’ve seen that both Jesus and the New Testament teach about the existence of a location, which I mean when I use the word hell. Let’s take all that we’re taught from the Bible and summarize what the nature of hell is like.
The Nature of Hell
The Bible describes the reality of hell in forceful figures of speech. It is said to be a place of darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13), which is “outside” the gate of the heavenly city (Revelation 22:14–15). Hell is away from the “presence of the Lord” (Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9). Of course, these are relational, not necessarily spatial, terms. God is “up,” and hell is “down.” God is “inside,” and hell is “outside.” Hell is the other direction from God.
The nature of hell is a horrifying reality. It is like being left outside in the dark forever (Matthew 8:12). It is like a wandering star (Jude 13), a waterless cloud (Mark 9:43–48), a bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1, 3), a prison (1 Peter 3:19), and a place of anguish and regret (Luke 16:28).
Nowhere does the Bible describe it as a “torture chamber” where people are forced against their will to be tortured. This is a caricature created by unbelievers to justify their reaction that the God who sends people to hell is cruel. This does not mean that hell is not a place of torment. Jesus said it was (Luke 16:24). But unlike torture, which is inflicted from without against one’s will, torment is self-inflicted.
It has been suggested that the door of hell is locked from the inside. We are condemned to our own freedom from God. Heaven’s presence of the divine would be the torture to one who has irretrievably rejected him. Torment is living with the consequences of our bad choices. The weeping and gnashing of teeth result from the realization that we blew it and deserve the consequences.
Hell is also depicted as a place of eternal fire. This fire is real but not necessarily physical (as we know it) because people will have imperishable physical bodies (John 5:28–29; Revelation 20:13–15), so normal fire would not affect them. Think of the burning bush in Exodus 3 as a similar concept. The bush would not be burned up and would continue to burn forever.
Further, the figures of speech that describe hell are contradictory if taken in a physical sense. It has flames, yet is outer darkness. It is a dump with a bottom, yet a bottomless pit. Everything in the Bible is true, just not true literally. The Bible must be read literarily to account for all its different genres, customs, languages, and contexts.
The Duration of Hell
Many people would be willing to accept a temporary hell, but the Bible speaks of it as everlasting.
Hell will last as long as God does. The Bible declares that God will endure forever (Psalm 90:1–2). Indeed, he had no beginning and no end (Revelation 1:8). He created all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15–16), and he will abide after this world passes away (2 Peter 3:10–12). But God, by his very nature, cannot tolerate evil (Isaiah 6; Habakkuk 1:13). The unrepentant must be separated from God forever.
Another thought to draw out is that unbelievers cannot repent in hell. Repentance is not the same as wanting to avoid feeling pain. While the rich man in Luke 16 is in agony, he is unable to repent. Repentance has an element of seeing Christ for who he is and desiring Christ to be one’s Lord and Savior. Repentance is not a Get Out of Hell card. Rather, one’s soul has been captivated by Christ’s beauty and superior worth. This doesn’t happen to those in hell; the more the flames rise, the more agony and complaining, the more anger will burn against God. Hell’s flames only provoke more sinning, not repentance.
Hell will last as long as heaven does. Heaven is described as “everlasting” in the Bible. But the same Greek word (aionion), used in the same context, also affirmed that hell is “everlasting” (Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:10). So, if heaven is forever, so is hell. There is absolutely no ground in Scripture for supposing that hell is temporal and heaven is eternal.
There is no possibility of getting out of hell. A great gulf is fixed, so no one can leave (Luke 16:26). Judgment begins immediately after death (John 8:21; Hebrews 9:27). This is not unlike the fact that some decisions in life are irreversible.
People are conscious after they die, whether they are in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 6:9) or hell (Luke 16:23). Therefore, it makes no sense to resurrect unbelievers to everlasting judgment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28–29) before the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11–15) unless they are conscious.
Misuse of the Existence of Hell
Let me begin this section by vehemently rebuking immoral uses of hell. Hell is NEVER to be used as a weapon of fear to beat young kids into submission or into getting a confession of faith. Those who enter heaven are not those who are afraid of hell but who love God. Pastors and church leaders who are more concerned with low church attendance and misuse the Bible and its teachings on Hell to manipulate people back to the church and to give financially; God is not mocked.
Some who object to the reality of hell do so, saying, “God is love, not hate.” That’s not actually true. God is much more complex than any of us. There are layers of love and hate with God. Whatever God loves, however, God hates the opposite. He loves his glory; he hates it when his glory is belittled. God’s perfect attribute called “wrath” proves that there is hate within God… Hate that is perfect, without sin. God is love (1 John 4:8), and God hates (Hosea 9:15).
But now we have come to the part of the article for why I wanted to write about this topic in the first place. How does the existence of hell affect your life? What are you throwing away if you discard the doctrine of hell? Why does any of this matter?
Hell Satisfies Our Inward Sense of a Need for Justice in the World
The fact that there will be a final judgment assures us that God’s universe is ultimately fair, for God is in control, and he keeps accurate records and renders just judgment. Colossians 3:25 states, “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong has done, and there is no partiality.” How does that happen? Through the final judgment, some will go to heaven, and others will go to hell. When the picture of a final judgment mentions the fact that “books were opened” (Revelation 20:12), it reminds us that God has kept a permanent and accurate record of all our deeds, and ultimately all accounts will be settled, and all will be made right.
Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30 offer peace of mind for those who have been sinned against/abused/oppressed to let go of the anger. These verses incentivize one to let go of the anger. How? By reminding the reader that God’s wrath will act in vengeance and repay for the wrong committed.
I was in church for over twenty years, and all I heard was not to be angry and to pray for mercy for those who have sinned against you. But in these two verses, God gives me permission to want Him to use His wrath to bring about vengeance. This is not a popular message in today’s church but very Biblical. I’m inclined to think that Sunday mornings should have more teaching about the imprecatory Psalms.
If you say that there is no hell, no divine judgment, then you have no reason to believe the wrongs that were done to you will be made right.
Two Final Objections Answered
Throughout this article, I have tried my best to not only explain why I believe hell does exist according to the Bible, but I’ve also tried to answer objections to hell’s existence. There are two more objections I’m aware of that I’d like to address before wrapping up.
Objection #1
Popularized by Penn Jillette (from Penn & Teller), if Christians actually believed hell was real, then they would be trying to evangelize to their neighbors, family, loved ones, and everyone nonstop. Here’s how Penn put it:
“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward — and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself — how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
“I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”
My Answer: Let’s start with his truck analogy. I take the truck as God’s judgment and/or hell, bearing down on one’s soul. It’s not a physical truck bearing down on a physical body but a spiritual judgment bearing down on a soul. One’s soul is much harder for others to move than one’s physical body. In order for one’s soul to move out of the way of hell’s harm, the soul must repent. To repent, the soul must see Christ as more satisfying than food, sex, drugs, money, than any pleasures the world has to offer — the soul must see Christ’s superior beauty in order for the heart to break that it doesn’t have it and it needs it more than anything that it repents. Who can cause one to repent? God alone. So, the most effective thing a Christian can do to assist in moving one’s soul towards repentance is to pray for him/her. In Penn’s mind, he didn’t have prayer as something a Christian would do to save him. But prayer is absolutely what should be done! As God answers the prayer, the individual will begin to become more inquisitive about Christianity and more open to hearing the gospel — that’s when they start asking the Christians that are close in their life about their faith; the gospel is shared, and the person repents.
Objection #2
How does Jesus’ sacrifice of three hours pay for a lifetime of sinning?
My Answer: I actually answered this question in a correspondence that I’ll share here:
The biggest question I heard you asking from the article is, “If my sin deserves eternal punishment in hell, how can Jesus’ few hours on the cross pay for my eternal punishment?” Do I understand your question correctly? To put it another way, “How can one man, in a matter of hours, drain the cup of wrath that would have taken an eternity to be poured out on me?” And not just on me, but on every person who would trust in Christ… that’s a lot of eternities worth of debt, and (to your point in the article), Jesus doesn’t absorb God’s wrath for all eternities, but only for three days’ worth… It’s like Jesus only paying $1 to pay off a $999 trillion debt. That’s what you’re asking, right?
If we had to pay the penalty for our sins, we would suffer eternally, in separation from God. However, Jesus did not suffer eternally. There are two reasons for this difference of not eternal suffering but complete payment:
(A) If we suffered for our sins, we would never be able to make ourselves right with God again. There would be no hope because there would be no way to live again and earn perfect righteousness before God, and there would be no way to undo our sinful nature and make it right before God. Moreover, we would continue to exist as sinners who would not suffer with pure hearts of righteousness before God but would suffer with resentment and bitterness against God, thus continually compounding our sin.
(B) Jesus was able to bear all the wrath of God against our sin and to bear it to the end. No mere man could ever have done this, but by the union of divine and human nature in himself, Jesus was able to bear all the wrath of God against sin and bear it to the end. What I don’t mean is that Jesus relied on a superhuman-God trick. Instead, I highlight the quality of Christ’s death in that he is both human and God. (Now, the next big question is, “How does God experience death in Christ?” but that’s for another time). This is what Isaiah predicted that God “shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied” (Is. 53:11). When Jesus knew that he paid the full penalty for our sin, he proclaimed, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
© It should help at this point to realize that nothing in the eternal character of God and nothing in the laws God had given for mankind requires eternal suffering to pay for man’s sins. If there is eternal suffering, it simply shows that the penalty has never been fully paid and that the evil-doer continues to be a sinner by nature. But when Christ’s sufferings finally ended on the cross, it showed that he had born the full measure of God’s wrath against sin, and no penalty was left to pay. It also showed that he was righteous before God. And this way, the fact that Christ suffered for a limited time rather than eternal shows that his suffering was a sufficient payment for sins.
You wrote in the comments, “Plus he created death, he created everything, so why did he need to die on the cross to conquer death? Was he powerless to do so before he died on the cross? So, you’re saying he had to die in order to have that power? Then can you honestly say God is all-powerful?” When talking about Christ conquering death, the phrase means Christ conquered death for or on behalf of people who trust him. To your point, Christ doesn’t need to die and then rise from the dead to show that he’s conquered death himself… He already has all the power and glory. It’s not about conquering for himself but on behalf of others.
