What is Hell Like?
Hell is a real place of darkness, fire, misery and torment for people who did not respond to God’s plan of salvation with repentance, faith and love for God during their life on earth.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
Jesus spoke more about hell than He did heaven, because He does not want anyone to go to that unspeakably horrible place. Most false cults reject the idea of a literal hell because they are religions invented by humans and not God. Whenever men invent their own doctrines, they will shape them according to their own desires and omit anything they do not like. But the Bible clearly teaches and reveals the literal and eternal hell.
Jesus related the account of Lazarus and the rich man. (Luke 16:19-31) This was a real story with real people, not an allegory or a parable. Both of them died. The poor man Lazarus went into paradise. The rich man went to hell and could even communicate with Abraham; but, he could not escape from the place of hell he was in or even get some relief.
The Bible does not teach about a “soul sleep”, although some cults do. Paradise and hell were located somewhere under the earth, a great distance apart. Paradise was also called “Abraham’s Bosom” and was evacuated when Jesus ascended into Heaven after His resurrection. From then on, all the saints who died went to heaven to be “present with the Lord.”
(II Corinthians 5:8)
Hell, however, is still occupied, and it will be until the Great White Throne Judgment. (Revelation 20) At that time, the inhabitants of hell will be resurrected from the dead and stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be judged for their wickedness and will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
The Lake of Fire is a place God has prepared for Satan and the Angels who rebelled with him in heaven. Also the people who follow him and his lies will be put there as well. Apparently it will be similar to hell, with the torment of perpetual fire, darkness, and absolute hopelessness. There will be no end to the suffering, because God created man to be an eternal spirit. Jesus made it very clear that hell is a real place. (Mark 9:44)
Obviously, the truly wise man will not fear those who have only the power to destroy this short natural life. He will fear God, because God is the one with the keys to death, hell and the grave.
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