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THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF HELL By DR. JIM ELLIS, ThD., PhD 504 BLANKSTON DRIVE BOGALUSA, LOUISIANA 70427 E-Mail: bblpchr@aol.com Luke 16: 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. INTRODUCTION There are quite a number of Scriptures that speak of Hell. Psalm 9:17 -- The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God. Matthew 25:46 -- And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 3:10 -- And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Matthew 3:11 -- I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:12 -- Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 13:40 -- As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. (*Note –"dispensation") The word "fire" occurs 549 times in 506 verses in the O.T. and the N.T. The word "HELL" occurs 54 times in 54 verses in both the Old and the New Testaments. The Old Testament Hebrew Word "Sheol" is translated "HELL," "GRAVE," AND "PIT." In the New Testament there are three Greek words that are translated "HELL." They are "HADES," which is the New Testament equivalent of "SHEOL," and then "GEHENNA," and "TARTAROO." The Greek word "TARTAROO" is only found in II Peter 2:4. The Greek word "HADES" is found in ten verses in the N.T.: Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 1:18; 6:8: 20:13, 14. The Greek word "GEHENNA" is found in twelve verses: Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6 I. WHERE IS HELL? "The lowest Hell" in Deut. 32:22 "Deeper than Hell" in Job 11:8 "Descend" into Hell in Isaiah 5:14 "Hell from beneath" in Isaiah 14:9 "Down to Hell" in Isaiah 14:15 "Down to Hell" in Luke 10:15 Do you get the idea that when the Bible says "The lowest Hell," "Deeper than Hell," "Descend into Hell," "Hell from beneath," and" Down to Hell," it is trying to tell us something? Numbers 16 -- (The only place in the Bible where people went to Hell alive.) *Note — The word "pit" in verse 33 is the Hebrew word "sheol." Hell is in the center of the earth!. · The polar diameter of the earth is 7,899.83 miles. · The equatorial diameter is 7,926.41 miles. · The Polar Circumference is 24,859.82 miles. · The Equatorial Circumference is 24,901.55 miles. · The radius (Half of the diameter) of the Earth is less than 4,000 miles. (1/2 of 7,926.41 = 3,963.2 miles) · It is closer to Hell than it is to Hawaii! · It is closer to Hell than it is from Florida to California A PICTURE OF HELL was this possible? Several years ago a book was published, entitled Beyond Death's Door by Dr. Maurice Rawlings. Dr. Rawlings, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, resuscitated many people who had been clinically dead. Dr. Rawlings, a devout atheist, "considered all religion "hocus-pocus" and death nothing more than a painless extinction". But something happened in 1977 that brought a dramatic change in the life of Dr. Rawlings! He was resuscitating a man, terrified and screaming — descending down into the flames of hell: "Each time he regained heartbeat and respiration, the patient screamed, "I am in hell!" He was terrified and pleaded with me to help him. I was scared to death. . . Then I noticed a genuinely alarmed look on his face. He had a terrified look worse than the expression seen in death! This patient had a grotesque grimace expressing sheer horror! His pupils were dilated, and he was perspiring and trembling — he looked as if his hair was "on end." Then still another strange thing happened. He said,"Don't you understand? I am in hell. . . Don't let me go back to hell!" . . . the man was serious, and it finally occurred to me that he was indeed in trouble. He was in a panic like I had never seen before." (Maurice Rawlings, Beyond Death's Door, (Thomas Nelson Inc., 1979) p. 3). Dr. Rawlings said, no one, who could have heard his screams and saw the look of terror on his face could doubt for a single minute that he was actually in a place called hell! The Birmingham News, April 10, 1987 had an article entitled "Earth's Center Hotter Than Sun's Surface, Scientists Say". The article stated that scientists have recently discovered, "THE EARTH'S INNER CORE HAS A TEMPERATURE OF OVER 12,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT!"
WHAT IS INSIDE THE EARTH? 1. The Hell -- II Peter 2:4 — For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. 2. Tartarooo Bottomless Pit —Revelation 17: 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. The phrase "bottomless pit" comes from the Greek word "abyss." Strong’s -- abussos, ab'-us-sos; from G1 (as a neg. particle) and a var. of G1037; depthless, i.e. (spec.) (infernal) "abyss": -- deep, (bottomless) pit. The bottomless pit has sides, but no bottom, like the inside of a donut. II. THERE IS LITERAL FIRE IN HELL! Matthew 13: 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. And so shall it be at the end of the world: then angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Mark 9: 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. III. THERE IS TORMENT IN HELL! Luke 16:23 -- And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments. Revelation 14:11 -- And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Technically speaking, this verse in Revelation 14:11 refers to the Lake of Fire, which is not the same as Hell, itself. In order to understand this distinction, we must go back to the dispensational teaching on the subject. The human being is made up of three parts -- body, soul, and spirit: Hebrews 4:12 -- For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. I Thessalonians 5:23 -- And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation 20:12, 13, the Bible refers to "death and hell." "Death" refers to the body and the grave: "Hell" refers to the place where the soul and spirit are confined until the Great White Judgment, when they are cast into the Lake of Fire -- body, soul, and spirit. Worms, Maggots Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Herod was eaten alive by maggots Acts 12:12 And upon a set day Herod arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 13 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 14 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms (Greek-"maggots"), and gave up the ghost. *Note -- The Greek word for "worm" is the word "Skolekobrotos." (sko-lay-kob'-ro-tos) "SKO- LEX (SKO'-LAKES -- a grub, maggot, or earthworm) (Strong’s) IV. HELL IS ETERNAL Matthew 25:41 -- Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:46 -- These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. If there is any question concerning whether this everlasting punishment is torment, it is answered in the Word of God. In I John 4:18 the Bible tells us, "There is no fear in lover; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.:" The word "torment" in I John 4:18 is the same Greek word that is translated "punishment" in Matthew 25:46; therefore, when Matthew 25:46 reads "everlasting punishment," it literally means "everlasting torment." In the May, 1979 issue of "Gospel Truth," the following article appeared: William Kaufmann, III, in his Book RELATIVITY AND COSMOLOGY points out -- "Three things happen to Stars (suns) when the internal hydrogen supply Approaches various stages of exhaustion. Violent internal atomic changes take place. A star the size of our sun would nova and become a midget white star. Our sun, which is approximately 900,000 miles across, would be compressed into a ball approximately 15 miles across, where one tablespoon of matter would weigh 1,000 tons."
WHITE HOLES Dr. C. T. Schwarze of New York University compared the white star to the lake of fire mentioned in Scripture. He said, "The word lake must connote a body of matter having liquid form. Therefore, if Scripture is truth, this eternal fire must be in liquid form...a temperature of 30,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit could explode atoms...with the constant activity of X-rays, atom walls could not be reformed. Therefore enormous densities, such as are found in midgets, can be attained . . . in a white dwarf the pressure is so great the gases become compressed to the consistency of a liquid although they may still respond to the characteristic of a gas... Insofar as physicists know, the midget white stars can never cool off! The white dwarf, to all intents, can never burn out . . . The Bible, God's Word, is scientifically accurate. We find, first, an eternal fire which cannot bur out. Being of a liquid consistency, it is secondly, a lake of fire. In the third place, it cannot be quenched; for any quenching material, such as water, would immediately have its atoms stripped of electrons and be placed in with the rest... It is only too evident that the Lake of Fire has been prepared and is now ready. BLACK HOLES The second thing that can happen to a collapsing star is that it can become a black hole. This occurs to stars much bigger than our sun, where the gravity is so intense that one tablespoon of matter would weigh 10 billion tons. Midget white stars can be seen because the gravity is still not so great that some light rays emitted at near 90 degree angles can escape. In black holes, the gravity is so intense that no light escapes. Jude referred to "...wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." In a black hole the atoms are stripped of all space, and as the mass is reduced and gravity intensifies to the point that light cannot escape, time changes to zero (eternity). Anyone caught in a black hole would cross the event horizon in a finite amount of time. In other words, a soul trapped in a black hole would wait forever for the next second on the clock to tick. WORMHOLES (EINSTEIN-ROSEN BRIDGES) The third thing that can happen to a collapsing star is that a black hole can become a wormhole, also called an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. It is theorized that a space wormhole connects two universes, possibly where time is existent in one and anti-time in the other. Anyone trapped in a black hole within a wormhole would live forever in torment in a state of limbo. The Prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 66:24 --" . . . their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched..." These are the opinions of scientists, not Independent Baptist preachers. It is my belief that the Lake of Fire is indeed in outer space and could even be our sun, or something like it. We must make the distinction between Hell and the Lake of Fire. Hell is in the center of the earth and is the temporary place where the souls and spirits of the unsaved will be until the Great White Throne Judgment. In Revelation 20: 13-15 we read: 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The word "death" refers to the grave or to the place where the bodies of the unsaved remain until the Great White Throne Judgment. The word "Hell" refers to the place where the souls and spirits of the unsaved will be until that Great Day. Then the unsaved will be cast body, soul, and spirit into the Lake of Fire. Here is another good question. When did time begin and when will it end? Time began in Creation in Genesis 1. God created time for the benefit of man. In Revelation 10 the Bible tells us -- 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: God created time for the benefit of man; He is in Eternity where everything is now, whether past, present, or future. Think about it! The Lake of Fire is prepared and ready. Hell will be emptied out at the Great White Throne Judgment. Eternity is reality! |
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