Hell

What happens when we die? Do we go to heaven? Do we go to HELL? Limbo? Purgatory? WHERE?

There is so much confusion about what happens when we die. If you believe the Bible, the answer is easy to find. Just read the Bible. The Bible makes it quite clear without any doubt. This being the case, why do so many Christians have odd beliefs? Some say that you go straight to heaven, regardless of how good or how bad you have lived your life. Some say it depends on your life, and you go straight to heaven, or to hell. Some say you go to , or , and charge money to get you out.

The Bible teaches that the God who created heaven and earth is a God of LOVE. In fact He loves us so much, that he sent His only Son down from the majesty of heaven, to be beaten, whipped, scourged, and tortured on a cross. The picture of existing, forever burning, in a place called hell just does not seem to fit. Would a God of love REALLY do that? Besides, if ALL the wicked burn forever, then there are two immediate anomalies. It would mean that a man who stole a banana to survive is punished forever in flames beside Hitler, who killed millions. It would also mean that Cain who killed Abel, has already been suffering for six thousand years longer than the said Hitler. Another problem is that if a husband goes to heaven, and his wife goes to hell, would he ENJOY being in heaven knowing the suffering she was going through? The Bible says God is going to wipe away all tears. Is that possible in this situation? Another similar problem is how would we feel being in heaven and seeing our loved ones going through turmoil on earth?

The first thing to check out is if in fact we go ANYWHERE at all after death. There are some Bible verses that say PLAINLY that we go nowhere after death, at least not IMMEDIATELY.

Revelation 21:4

The Bible plainly states we remain in the grave waiting to be resurrected in the future.

The prophet Malachi pulls no punches and says it very plainly, in words that can not be mistaken.

Malachi 4:1 For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Let’s look at that piece by piece. Malachi 4:1 For behold, the day cometh, This event is in the future, It COMETH. that shall burn as an oven; It is not saying where, so the assumption is the whole earth. It is referring to the wicked. and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: The wicked will be stubble, nothing left. and the day that cometh still saying it is future tense. shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, They will be burnt up, nothing left. that it shall leave them neither root nor branch Plainly says nothing left.

In verse 4, Malachi continues And ye shall tread down the wicked; The word SHALL is future, and it is referring to the wicked. for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Again, saying this event is future. Ashes is not leaving much. They are all gone completely.

It says that there is NOTHING left, but did he just FORGET to mention the soul goes somewhere else? Solomon comments on this.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: Yep, death and taxes are certain. but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; They have no reward, good or bad, no punishment. So, the dead have no conscious thoughts. They are asleep. for the memory of them is forgotten. Forgotten, they are NOWHERE.

If we do not go anywhere when we die, WHEN do we go somewhere, or do we at all?

John 11:11 and after that he saith unto them, This is Jesus speaking. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. They thought he meant normal sleep. He said Lazarus was sleeping. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death:. Jesus spoke of Lazarus’ death as being a sleep. Jesus refers to death as a “sleep”. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. Jesus made it plain, death is a sleep.

Ok, Jesus brought Lazarus from the tomb that he had been in for 4 days so WHERE had he been for those 4 days? If he had been in heaven, he would not have been thankful that Jesus brought him back. If he was in hell, he would have been VERY thankful. NO. He had just been in the tomb, asleep, the sleep of death.

John 11:17

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth This is a strange place to sleep? No, he is talking about the dead. shall awake, some to everlasting life, Some are going to wake up to go to heaven. AWAKE? If they had had conscious thoughts, they would not have been asleep. and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And some will not go to heaven, but WHERE? Note that it said the CONTEMPT would be everlasting. It did not say THEY would be everlasting and live forever. The prophet Daniel refers to the dead being asleep in the dust, and says they will be awakened together.

Job 3:11 Why died I not from the womb? ……….. Job wishes he had died at birth. 13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. Cease from troubling? At rest? Does NOT sound like hell to me. If he had died, he would now be at rest sleeping. Job also refers to death as a sleep. (The whole bible passage is here:- )

Job 3:11-17

We have seen that we go NOWHERE at death, and that the righteous go to heaven while the wicked go somewhere else, eventually. So where is that somewhere else?

Matthew 23:23 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jesus implied that there was a hell when He said:-

However, He ALSO said that you can not live forever in hell:-

Matthew 10:28 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.

If the soul is destroyed in hell, then it ceases to exist, not forever tormented.

At this point, I should mention that the Jews referred to the grave as hell and this has probably led to some of the confusion that exists. We sometimes do a similar thing even today. We make statements like “I was in hell!”, but we do not mean we were burning forever. Another thing to keep in mind, is that the meaning of the term “forever” in the Bible is closer to the meaning of “permanent”. Hannah gave her son, Samuel, to serve in the temple FOREVER, meaning for the rest of his life, or PERMANENTLY. Another text that has caused confusion is this one:-

Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment This is talking about the torment in hell. ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, It does not say HOW MANY days or nights. Note that the SMOKE is ascending forever, not the torment. who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. A special mention for those who succumb to the mark of the beast.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, This is gift from God, through His Son, Jesus. that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This implies that if you do NOT believe in Jesus, you WILL perish WITHOUT eternal life. If you believe in Jesus, then you will NOT perish but have eternal life. If you do not have eternal life, how can you live forever in hell? Note: There is a lot hidden in that word “believe”. Even satan believes. Everlasting life is a gift only for those that love Jesus, so how could someone live forever in hell, without that gift.

So WHAT is Hell? On the next page we shall see when hell begins, where it is, and when it ends.

Samuel 1:22,28

We have seen that HELL does exist, and it is where the wicked are destroyed, so where is it?

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, It is making quite sure we understand it is talking about the wicked. and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: This is HELL. This is where the wicked are DESTROYED, right down to ASHES. The righteous are not included in this death. which is the second death. So, hell and the second death are one and the same. The following verse makes it very clear that the second death is hell.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them This is satan, the deceiver, the devil. was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, He is tossed into the lake of fire with all who followed him. Even satan himself will be destroyed in the lake of fire. where the beast and the false prophet are, Two of the final enemies of God are tossed in just before him. satan gets to see all his followers destroyed before he is also tossed in. and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Remember, we have already seen that “forever” means “permanently”. They will stay there till consumed away. The worst will last longer than the “not so bad”.

Revelation 20:7-9 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, satan is bound for the 1000 years that the righteous are “holidaying” in heaven. And shall go out to deceive the nations ……………. to gather them together to battle: satan and the wicked actually believe they can overcome God and the righteous. satan has a lot to catch up on. He has been bound for 1000 years. and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: They surround the Holy City, with Jesus and all the saints inside. The following is an extract from the description of the very end of the wicked after the righteous have spent 1000 years in heaven. the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. All the wicked, right back to Cain, are here in this group. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, This is happening on Earth. Hell is actually on earth, but not yet. and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. This is where HELL happens. The wicked are destroyed, still unrepentent, trying to take God’s city by force. While the good are in heaven, and the wicked lie dead on the earth, satan is alone.