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"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,...." (Luke 16 verse 23)

Introduction: What Does the Bible Says About Hell Fire?

This subject on the existence of a place of suffering called Hell is very important to consider. It shows there is consequence for sinning against God and not accepting His provision of Salvation from sin through Jesus Christ.  Contrary to popular belief that Hell is whatever suffering man goes through on earth, the word of God teaches that this is an actual place of existence. To understand the Bible’s teaching about this place, I will suggest you use the King James Version of the Bible to read the several scriptures listed below describing what Hell is. 

 

Written by

A.T Omoyele

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the links below to explore this subject.

 

Hell: A Real Place of Existence

a)  Location of Hell

b)  Hell is both a physical and spiritual world
c)   Consciousness in Hell

d)  Hell is the Second Death

e)   Occupants of Hell have Incomplete Bodies

Characteristic of Hell

a)  A place molten Fire

b)  Hell is never full up

c)   Chambers of Hell

d)  Hell is a temporary place of suffering

A Place of Eternal Destruction

a)  Hell follows death

b)  A place sorrow and death

c)  Hell is a place of Destruction & eternal Damnation

Hell is for all Sinners

a)  Man is given the choice not to end up in Hell

b)  God have power to cast into Hell

c)   Hell will accommodate all kinds of sinners

Jesus Christ Holds the Key to Hell Fire

a)  Hell was opposite to Paradise

b)  Jesus soul wasn't Left in Hell

Hell was Prepared for Satan and Fallen Angels

a)  The devil would end up in Hell

b)  Angels reserved in chain for Hell

Eternal Salvation from Hell

a)  Wicked nations turned into Hell

b)  Death and Hell give up the dead

c)   Saving souls

d)  Eternal deterrent to Sin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location of Hell

In Proverbs 15 verse 24, Hell is beneath in the earth. It is described as a place of suffering for sinners in the lower part of the earth according to Psalm 63 vs 9. “Lower parts” means the centre of the Earth. This is the same as Hell which is deep from Job 11 verse 8. The reference “deep” would normally be used relative to the earth. Amos 9 verse 2, says one has to dig to get into Hell. Digging could only be done into the earth. In conclusion, hell is located deep inside the earth. Hell is described as  “the pit” in Isaiah 14 vs 15; Ezekiel 31 vs 16. Read also Psalm 28 verse 1; 55 verse 23; 88 verse 4; 143 verse 7; Proverbs 1 verse 12; Isaiah 38 verse 18; Ezekiel 32 verse 18, Revelation 9 verses 1 & 2; 11 verse 7; 20 verse 3.

The sequence is physical death on earth first and then the lost soul descends down into hell (Psalm 55 verse 15). There is an entrance into Hell through a gate at its mouth (Matthew 16 verse 18). And this mouth of Hell automatically opens to swallow up the soul of the sinner after death. And  every time this opening occurs, the inhabitants of hell are stirred up (Isaiah 14 verse 9). Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell is both a physical and spiritual world

The Bible reveals three types of worlds or place of existence for created beings.  While two of these worlds are both spiritual and physical, the third is just a physical world. A sphere of existence is physical if the occupants can use their sense of smell, taste, see, feel and hear to relate to this world.

However a spiritual world goes beyond the elements of the physical world. The elements of existence in the physical world on Earth, mirrors the experiences of those in Heaven or Hell at a lower state. For example, the inhabitants of heaven eat food out of pleasure usually prompted by desire or wish (and not through the sensation of hunger) and whether this food is taken on a daily basis or not does not affect the purpose of existence in that world, In the case of those on earth, eating is usually prompted by hunger. Eating or not would affect a person's state of existence on earth. 

On the side of Hell, an inhabitant will suffer terribly from thirst day and night and yet this does not discontinue existence or affect the purpose of that person living in that world. But if someone on  earth experience that level of thirst, he or she would be unable to exist on earth.

Depending on the world where an individual exists, this person's senses can experience good or bad, joy or happiness and peace or unrest. Both Heaven and Hell reflects the extremes of sensation that could be enjoyed or suffered on earth. Experiences in Heaven are the extremes of anything good that could be enjoyed on earth. The experiences in Hell are the extremes of all bad things that could be suffered on earth. In other words all good things that happens to an individual on earth have their source in Heaven, while all evils and bad things that happens on earth have their sources from Hell. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Consciousness in Hell

Heaven and Hell are both spiritual and material  world where the inhabitants are subject to consciousness of their existence just as on earth, but on a higher level. For example, while on earth, the level of human consciousness of his existence or reasons for his creation is limited by time, knowledge, memory in his brain etc.

It is important to understand that the state of consciousness of man while on earth is not as perfect as those of the two spiritual worlds earlier mentioned. This is as a result of the fall of man. This fall exposes man to degradation of his senses. And as a result man is incapable of the productivity he is designed to achieve on earth including the full utilisation of his 5 senses. A good example is the human brain of which man only uses about 10 percent.

In comparism, in the two spiritual worlds man senses would be fully active. In Heaven, man's senses would be fully active towards good productivity. However in Hell, man's senses would be fully active to suffer maximal eternal punishment meted out to all sinners who rejects Jesus Christ. The sorrow of Hell involves the inhabitant's ability to remember perfectly all opportunities wasted to respond to salvation through Jesus Christ. Also it is possible to sustain sensation of pain from the intensity of the heat of Hell without let up or death. This is impossible on earth where this type of feeling cannot be sustained over a similar length of time as a result of the body succumbing to degradation of death and decomposition.  

In Heaven or Hell, a person's senses becomes more sharper. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell is the Second Death

From Revelation 19 verse 20, a human being that was physically alive in his natural human body was thrown into a part of Hell known as the lake fire. Normally the transition from life on earth and into Hell is through death. But sometime it is possible by-pass death by literally moving from existence on earth into Hell as in the case of the antichrist and the false prophet. In Number 16 verses 29 - 34, Moses describes this experience as uncommon death. Common death is the death which all human beings bound for either heaven or hell will experience on earth. This is the same as physical death which is the transition point to eternity.

But the uncommon death Moses talked about is the same as the second death in hell fire. This type of death is to be suffered in the pit of Hell. The Bible describes this as the second death (Revelation 20 verse 14; 21 verse 8). Just as the antichrist and the false prophet, Korah, Dathan and Abiram descended into Hell alive where their bodies were later destroyed. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Occupants of Hell have Incomplete Bodies

While Hell is a spiritual world, it can accommodate the bodies of human beings (i.e as it once was on earth) temporarily until the body is destroyed. When an individual dies on earth, his or her body, soul and actual spirit being of that person goes to Hell. This is no doubt the reason why Jesus Christ said that the whole body of a sinner would initially go to Hell, but after a while would be destroyed in Matthew 5 verse 30. Also from Matthew 10 verse 28, the Bible specifically says the body alongside the soul would be destroyed in Hell.  In other words, the sequence is the body is killed or dies and decays on earth, but it is later destroyed in Hell (read Luke 12 verses 4 - 5, John 10 verse 10).

The souls and spirits in Hell are encapsulated in a suit. This suit is a body, but which is incomplete because it is eternally degraded and continuously eaten up by worms of Hell. The worms of Hell cannot eat a soul or spirit of a personality. So there has to be a form of body for those in Hell through which they will constantly experience pain and agony. Now this body must not be confused with the body that those in Hell will eventually be given to suffer after their souls in Hell are thrown into the Lake of fire.

This truth about occupants in Hell suffering in spiritual bodies must not be confused with the fact that human beings leave their physical body on earth before burial. The best way to understand this truth revealed by Jesus Christ from this passage is to accept that for everything physical that happens on earth, there is a similar event which takes place in the spirit world. In this case, just as a body on earth becomes lifeless and later decay in the physical world, so does that same body appears in the spirit world of Hell to suffer eternal degradation. Click here to view content index

 

 

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A place molten Fire

Hell burns with fire (Matthew 5 verse 22). .

From Deuteronomy 32 verse 22, the bible says the foundation of the mountains is set on fire. This passage no doubt corroborates the teaching that hell is in the earth out of which liquid fire forms the mountains. There is a region within Hell where there is flow of liquid fire. This liquid fire or molten magma occasionally burst forth onto the surface of the earth in the form of volcanoes to form mountains. The Bible says that this fire burns with Brimstone which is the same as sulphur in Revelation 14 verse 10.

The Heat of Hell is compared to a furnace. Certain parts of Hell are compared to furnace where the heat is many times more than the average heat of an ordinary burning fire. This is the sort of heat that melts rocks and other metals found inside the earth.

Also while pointing out the necessity of living right, Jesus Christ used the fire to describe ultimate end of a tree that doesn't bring forth fruit. The word "tree" is symbolic of every human being (Matthew 3 verse 10; Matthew 7 verse 19; John 15 verse 6)

In Matthew 3 verse 12; 13 verse 38 - 42, the fire of Hell is unquenchable. In other words, the fire of Hell is everlasting. Jesus Christ mention this when he pointed out that the chaff (symbolic of all sinners) will be burnt up by unquenchable fire (also read Revelation 14 verse 11, Matthew 18 verses 8 & 9; 25 verse 41, Mark 9 verses 43-48)

The Bible says that the smoke of the torments of those who ends up in Hell ascends forever. While it may be in comprehensible for the human mind to accept this truth, one just simply have to accept this word of God (Revelation 14 verse 11). Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell is never full up

According to Proverbs 27 verse 20, Hell is never full up because it is ever accommodating mankind. Since the fall of human beings through Adam, sinful men have always ended up in hell. Majority of adult human beings that dies at any given point ends up in Hell. Jesus Christ pointed this out saying the way that leads to everlasting destruction have a lot of people going through it (Matthew 7 verses 13 - 14). The only way to escape Hell is through Jesus Christ. Of the billions of people on earth, only couple of tens or hundreds of millions of human being have truly committed their lives to Jesus Christ. This is less than 8.3% of mankind's population. So it is possible to understand why Hell would never be full. Hell wasn't originally prepared for human beings. However since mankind's fall, sinners have always gone into Hell. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Chambers of Hell

In Proverbs 7 verse 27, Hell has different chambers or compartment of sufferings. The Bible describes each compartment as chamber of death. The degree of suffering differs from chamber to chamber.

Another section or chamber of Hell is called the bottomless pit (Isaiah 14 verse 15,  Revelation 20 verse 1- 3). This section of Hell is reserved for the punishment of some fallen angels or demons including Satan. In the future, they would be thrown into this part of Hell and temporarily sealed in while Jesus Christ and all His saints reign on earth during Christ’s millennial kingdom on earth. Until that time in the future, Satan can access the bottomless pit as often as he wishes to do evil. This is where God initially threw the devil into after he rebelled in heaven according to Isaiah 14 verses 12 - 15, Ezekiel 31 verse 16. He comes out of this bottomless to cause mayhem and havoc on earth from time to time. The Bible says that during the future Great Tribulation, Satan and his demons would perpetrate evil on earth from the bottomless pit and then later would be sealed in for 1000 years (Revelation 9 verses 1 – 12; 11 verse 7; 17 verse 8)

Also Hell is shaped into different parts. One of the parts is known as the belly of Hell. Just as the human body has different parts including the belly so does Hell. "Belly of Hell" is not just used figuratively in Jonah 2 verse 2, but is an actual part of Hell. Eyewitness account of Hell also confirms this is true.

In II Thessalonians 1 verse 7 - 9, there is a region in Hell that is a flaming fire. Unlike liquid fire, this section actually flames. And it is design for all those that deliberate choose to ignore God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 24 verse 22 also describe another section of the pit (or Hell) as a prison where souls are imprisoned just as they would on earth. There are souls in this prison I Peter 3 verse 19. After Jesus Christ’s death, He went inside the earth to talk to these souls. Ephesians 4 verse 9. This prison is also situated at the bottomless pit where Satan and his demons would eventually end up Revelation 20 verses 3 & 7.

Revelation 1 verse 18 shows there is a key to hell. There cannot be a key without a doorway. Satan used to have this key. But Jesus Christ took it from him after Christ descended into Hell. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell is a temporary place of suffering

Hell is not a permanent place according to Revelation 20 verses 11 - 15. It would itself be cast into the lake of fire. This would happen after sinners of all ages are called out of Hell to be judged by Jesus Christ. Once judged, each occupant of Hell will be given a new complete body designed to suffer excruciating eternal fire of the Lake of fire. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell follows death

Revelation 6 verse 8 shows the sequence of entrance into Hell. One has to die first before ending up in Hell. During the great tribulation on earth, many people would die during a great war after the “kings of the North and South” invade Israel and fights the Antichrist. Daniel 11 verses 40 - 45. Click here to view content index

 

 

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A place sorrow and death

Hell is a place eternal sorrow and death II Samuel 22 verse 6, Psalm 18 verse 5. David said from the above passage that when he went through his period of pain and suffering it was like experiencing the sorrows of Hell. Coupled with sorrow is the ever pain and consciousness of death Proverbs 9 verse 18.  It is a place of excruciating and constant sorrow Psalm 116 verse 3. It is such a horrible place that Jesus Christ warns to avoid it all cost Matthew 5 verse 29. Click here to view content index

 

 

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A place of Destruction and Eternal Damnation

Also hell is a place of destruction Job 26 verse 6. Jesus Christ specifically used the word “destruction” to describe the work of the devil which usually culminates in a soul ending up in Hell as a result of rejecting Jesus Christ on earth John 10 verse 10. This destruction is not that which leads to purgatory or extermination into oblivion, but the destruction in hell is that which results in constant agony and suffering in a conscious state of existence. Those in hell experience eternal corruption Psalm 16 verse 10. Hell is a place without hope. It is a place of doom Matthew 23 verse 33. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Man is given the choice not to end up in Hell

In Proverbs 15 verse 24 Man has the choice to avoid Hell. This choice has to be made while that individual is alive on earth because after death is judgement Hebrews 9 verse 27. Those who make this choice are regarded by God as wise. The Bible says a wise person is an individual who fears the Lord in Proverbs 9 verse 10. Before the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, those who fear God would obey the Law of Moses in order to escape Hell fire in Luke 16 verse 27 - 31. After Christ’s death and resurrection, those who fear the Lord would put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation from hell. It is only God’s correction to mankind found in the Bible that can deliver a soul from hell. This is why God raises up ministers of the gospel to bring sinners back to God with the preaching of repentance (Proverbs 23 verse 14). Click here to view content index

 

 

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God have power to cast into Hell

God created Hellfire for Satan and his fallen angels and not for humans. Even though Hell is inconsonant with the atmosphere of God's presence, yet God is in charge of who goes to or not to Hell Proverbs 15 verse 11. He has the key to Hell. This key was taken from Satan after Jesus Christ died on the cross Revelation 1 verse 18; 9 verse 1; 20 verse 1. God has the power to cast the human soul into Hell. And this is why Jesus Christ warned to fear God so as not to end up in Hell Luke 12 verse 5. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell will accommodate all kinds of sinners

Revelation 21 verse 8 shows that Hell fire is for all kinds of sinners that have ever lived on earth. The degree of suffering in Hell is in accordance with a person's lifestyle of sin while on earth. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Hell was opposite to Paradise

Before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Hell had two compartments. One was Hell fire or place of suffering, and the other was Paradise or a place of peace and happiness. Both compartments were opposite each other and separated by a gulf. Read Luke 16 verses 23-31. After Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, He led the occupants of paradise into Heaven and Paradise became empty. Paradise was a temporary place for the people of God, just as Hell is a temporary place for people to suffer. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Jesus soul wasn't Left in Hell

From the book of Acts 2 verses 27 & 31, after Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, He descended first into Hell inside the earth Ephesians 4 verse 8 - 10.  He did not go to Hell to suffer the corruption of all eternally lost souls, but rather to save those held captives inside Paradise. Jesus Christ liberated this group of people and led them out into Heaven after Christ’s resurrection. Read Matthew 27 verse 50 – 53. Click here to view content index

 

 

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The devil would end up in Hell

Revelation 20 verse 10 shows the final destination of the devil and all his angels. While God initially created Hell for the devil and his angels, they have not being suffering in Hell for the last 6000 years of Man's existence on earth. Their time would come at the end of this present world. This is why some demons asked Jesus Christ if He would torment them before their time (Matthew 8 verse 29-31). When their time of judgement starts, they would suffer just as any other inhabitant of Hell suffers. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Fallen Angels reserved in chain for Hell

The Bible quite pointed out that Hell was prepared for the devils and his angels Matthew 25 verse 41; II Peter 2 verse 4. After some of angels of God first sinned, Hell fire was immediately prepared for them to suffer eternal punishment.

In the Bible there are two divisions of fallen angels. Those who are not suffering and those who are presently suffering in Hell.

A lot of these angels are presently not suffering. Their time of suffering in Hell would come in the future. In the mean time, these fallen angels (also known as demons) have access to earth, heavens (or space outside the earth) and Hell. The scripture reveals this from the account of Satan when he told God that he walked to and fro on earth Job 1 verse 7. This passage shows that Satan along with some of the fallen angels are presently free to move about to carry out their nefarious activities on earth.

 On earth, these demons (i.e those lower in rank) causes all kinds of evil such as sicknesses, death and so on. If they are allowed, they are fond of possessing the bodies of both humans and animals alike Matthew 8 verse 28 - 32.

These demons (also lower in rank) torments human beings that goes to hell. But they themselves do not experience this torment yet.

In the heavens (or space outside the earth), those fallen angels who are higher ranked in the realm of the kingdom of darkness works alongside Satan to control affairs on earth. These are the demonic angels apostle Paul described as Principalities, rulers and powers of darkness (Ephesians 6 verse 12; 2 verse 2 ). These sets of fallen angels operate from the air (or the heavens, but not the heavens of God). From here, they control nations and everything that affects human existence on earth (Read Daniel chapter 10). At the prayers of the children of God (such as Daniel in Daniel 10 verse 13), God's holy angels (or those who didn't sin with Satan) engage in regular fights with these fallen angels and overcome the fallen angels. The Bible says that in the future, all fallen angels would be thrown out of their habitation in the heavens where they have taken up residence for thousands of years (Read Revelation 12 verse 7 - 10).

These fallen angels which operates in the air also regularly accuses believers to God (Revelation 12 verses 9 & 10). Once in a while they participates in meeting involving God's holy angels as described in Job 1 verse 6. The term the "sons of God" is a reference to spiritual beings or angels and not just humans. These holy angels appeared before God and Satan was present in this gathering to accuse Job to God.

During the 7 years great tribulation on earth, all higher ranked fallen angels along with Satan would be cast to the earth. Just before this happens all lower ranked demonic fallen angels would be released out of Hell to torment human beings on earth (Revelation 9 verses 1-11)

And then during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth, all fallen angels irrespective of their rank would be sealed up in the bottomless pit to prevent them deceiving and tormenting human beings on the face of the earth. It is from here that they would all eventually end up in the lake of fire where they would be tormented forever and ever.

For those fallen angels that are presently suffering in Hell, the Bible says that they are chained down in the darkness of Hell at the moment. These angels are described as actually chained down (II Peter 2 verse 4). This verse shows that they are restricted and limited unlike other fallen angels which operate in the air, earth and Hell. These angels are chained down and suffering in hell because they sinned against God. Superficial reading of this passage would appear to refer to the initial sin of rebellion along with Satan and which later led to their expulsion from heaven. However a look at Jude 1 verses 6 & 7 shows that this sin is another sin some of the fallen angels perpetrated. The Bible says that they “kept not their first estate”. This first estate is God's position on Angels relating sexually with human beings. In Jude 1 verse 7, God forbids unnatural sex, whether it be sex between a man and man, woman and woman, animals and humans. This is the reason why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Now from this verse of scripture, God compares the sin of these angels with the unnatural sexual perversions of Sodom and Gomorrah. These fallen angels went after strange flesh or bodies of human women which were unnatural for these angels to relate sexually to (which is the same as the phrase “left their own habitation” among angelic beings to relate with the habitation of human beings). The account of this unnatural sexual relationship is documented in the book of Genesis 6 verses 1 & 2. The Bible's reference to "sons of God" is to angelic beings and not humans. These sons of God were not holy angels but some of the fallen angels. These angels were able to mate with humans either because of their abilities to put on the human form (Numbers 22 verse 31; Genesis chapters 18 & 19, i.e Angels appearing as human beings) or as a result of their bodies consisting of bones and flesh which can interact with the physical world (Luke 24 verses 39 & 40; Mark 12 verse 25).

Irrespective of which, these angels had physical intimacy with human women thousands of years ago. The result of this relationship were human beings with unusual physical features (Read Genesis 6 verse 4). These human beings had flesh and blood like all other normal beings, but they had strange physical features, such as six fingers and toes and excessive height (Number 13 verse 33, II Samuel 21 verse 20).

It was never God's plan for human beings to appear like this. And this is why God later instructed Israel to destroy the descendant of these beings off the face of the earth. Angels’ violation of mankind happened during and after the flood of Noah. As a result there were giants both before and after the flood of Noah (Genesis 6 verse 4)

The angels’ motivation for mating with the women is to make it impossible for the promise of a saviour to become a reality. This could only happen through pure race of human beings. The fallen angel’s relationship with humans produced a generation of giants on earth also known as the Anakims. These people were so big and tall that the children of Israel felt they were grasshopper before the giants (Numbers 13 verse 33)

God was displeased with this. And this is one of the reasons for destroying human beings with the flood during the time of Noah (I Peter 3 verses 19 & 20). God also handed judgement on these disobedient angels and reserved them in chains inside Hell fire. And so ever since this time in history, these fallen angels have been suffering in Hell. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Wicked nations turned into Hell

Hell is the eternal dwelling place of all ungodly people and wicked nations in Psalm 9 verse 17. The word “wicked” does not just refer to someone committing wicked acts but to all human beings that would not repent from their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Also Hell is a region for the dead that is capable of accommodating as many people as possible. The word nation could be used to describe a group or class of people (in this case, sinners. For example, the men of Sodom and Gomorrah), but it could also refer to entire nations or generations of human beings that reject Christ’s offer of salvation and whose number could run into tens or hundreds of millions of people Matthew 11 verse 23. A good example of a large number of people being turned into Hell at the same time is in the future Great tribulation period on earth. During this period, millions of people would die in less than 3 1/2 years when the wars predicted in Revelation 6 verses 4 - 8 and Revelation vs 9 verses 15 - 18 commences on the face of the earth. And then when Jesus Christ judges the nation at His second coming, millions of people that would be part of the goat nations wearing the mark of the BEAST would simultaneously be thrown into the lake of fire (read Matthew 25 verses 31 - 46 and Revelation 14 verses 9 - 11). These passages are fulfilment of wicked nations being cast into hell. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Death and Hell give up the dead

In Revelation 20 verse 13 Hell is a temporary place of suffering. A time would come in the future when those in Hell would be let out to be judged by Jesus Christ at the Great white throne judgement. While humans have been sufferings in Hell for the last 6000 years, most of the fallen angels have been roaming about to carry out their nefarious acts on earth. However when the time of judgment starts, both humans and fallen angels would appear before Christ and from the judgement they would be thrown into the lake of fire, a place of eternal suffering unlike Hell fire Revelation 20 verse 14 & 15. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Saving souls

The book of Jude 1 verses 22 & 23 shows the centrality of the preaching of the gospel of Christ to people's escaping Hell fire. The mandate of Jesus Christ to His followers (or the Christian Church) shortly before He went back to Heaven is to go and preach the gospel to every human being Mark 16 verse 15; Luke 24 verses 46 – 48; I Corinthian 9 verse 16. This is because without preaching the gospel it is impossible for men and women to believe in Christ to obtain salvation from Hell fire Romans 10 verses 14 – 17. This salvation from Hell fire is for every one of the several billions of human beings that has been or will been born on earth. Romans 10 verse 13. Click here to view content index

 

 

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Eternal deterrent to Sin

From Isaiah 66 verse 24, it is clear that God has put in place a mechanism to prevent humans, angels or any other being from sinning against God ever again. This last chapter in book of Isaiah describes what happens during the regeneration of the earth. This is the time after God would have exercised justice and judged all sinners that ever lived on earth by condemning them to the eternal lake of fire. Read Matthew 19 verse 28, Revelation chapters 20 & 21. At this point in history, every part of creations starts afresh with new generation of human beings born onto earth. Reigning over these new generation of human beings would be glorified beings (or all those who has been given new spiritual bodies after the resurrection). These glorified beings which will be numbered in their several millions (i.e in accordance to the numbers of all of God’s people that ever lived on earth.) would rule over new generation of human beings of the future regeneration whose number would become infinite as they would have access to the tree of life which would prevent them from dying (Revelation 22 verse 2). This is in line with God's original plan before the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden. Before the fall of Adam, God wanted man to live forever. And the way to achieve this was to allow Man to eat from the tree of life. However, since Adam later fell into sin, God had to keep man from eating from the tree of life in his sinful state (Genesis 3 verses 22 - 24)

In order to prevent sin ever affecting the new generation of human beings that will be on earth at this point in human history, God will open up Hell fire (or the Lake of fire at that time) to show everybody the consequence of sin which started with Satan and his fallen angels and later by Man or the descendant of Adam. God in His mercy would do this as He never create any of His creatures as Robot, but as free moral beings that has a will to choose between good and evil. Because there was not such deterrent some angels and human beings choose to sin against God.

But during the regeneration, God will allow everybody to see the consequence of sin according to Isaiah 66 verse 24. This is why there would never again be the occurrence of sin which blighted God's creation until now.

People have often wondered why a good God would allow eternal suffering in the lake of fire. The reason is clear from this passage. God deliberately did this to make sure newer generations sees the consequence of sin forever. And as a result, there would never again be sin in eternity.

If God had either damned those (angels and humans) who sins against him into extinction or punished them for a few millions years, then there would never have been any eternal deterrence for God's future creature to avoid sin. Just as Lucifer sinned without any external influence because he was created as a free moral being, so could any of the future creatures of God choose to fall into sin. Sinning against God by any being does not necessarily need external help for God to count it as sin. Satan and his angels were not tempted to sin, it was their choice as free moral agent. Also during the millennial reign of Christ on earth, when Satan and his angels would be bound in the bottomless pit, there presence would not be felt on earth, yet human beings of that period would still be required to seek salvation through Jesus Christ because sin would still be in the heart of humans even without the presence of the devil.

Just as the punishment God meted out on Lucifer (or Satan) and his angels kept in check other holy angels of God so that none of them have again rebelled against God, so will the opening of Hell fire keep in check God's future generation from ever sinning against God for all eternity.