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Hell
| Hell is not the kingdom of Satan where he will reign over demons and all who are bad. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate that Hell will be some sort of fellowship of sinners, where life will continue pretty much as it was on earth. The pathetic jokes about plans for "living it up" in Hell demonstrate ignorance of its purpose and nature. |
There are three Greek words translated hell in our English Bible:
- Tartaros is found only once in the Bible. "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved for judgement" (2 Peter 2:4). The angels mentioned here refer to those "which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation" (in rebellion)(Jude 6). Tartaros, then is a place of confinement for the rebellious angels until the time of their judgement.
- Hades is found ten times in the New Testament. (Matthew 11:23;16:18; Luke 10:15;16:23; Acts 2:17,31; Revelation 1:18;6:8;20:13,14). It is not the final destiny of those who die having rejected Christ, but a place of torment until they are resurrected to stand before the great white throne judgement (see Revelation 20:13-15). The suffering, though real, is not physical. Hades is also a place of separation from God and of no escape. "... 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" (Luke 16:26).
- Geena is also mentioned as the lake of fire. "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). There will be no appeal after passing of sentence at the great white throne judgement. All who have rejected Christ will be present. "The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (Hades) delivered up the dead which were in them ... And death and hell( Hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Revelation 20:13-15). Hell essentially and basically, is banishment from the presence of God for deliberately rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Is your name written in the book of life ? If you died today would you know for sure you would go to Heaven or Hell ?
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