Introduction:

As real as are the Bible's teaching of Heaven, is its teachings on the reality of Hell. It is certainly not a popular subject, nor a popular place. It is as negative a teaching as is found in Scripture, and is taught as emphatically as any truth in the Bible. The Bible tells us a great deal more about hell that about heaven.

           The Bible says Hell is a literal place, and states clearly that a man will spend eternity in Heaven or Hell, without exception. The Bible teaches Hell, is a place of torment and punishment for sin. Many cults and false teachers have tried to water down or deny what the Bible says about Hell. For example:

I. False ideas of false relgions.

           Jehovah Witnesses' teach that man is simply judged and annihilated after death and there is no eternal punishment.

           Roman Catholics claim that a man after death goes to a place they call Purgatory, which is only a temporary place where man must pay for his confessed and unforgiven sins. There you are punished for one's individual sins that were did not confessed to the priest or one did not do penance for while on earth. Prayers are offered by the by the living on behalf of the dead to help them get out or Purgatory out quicker. Once you are punished enough for you sins you are allowed to go to heaven. That is completely false as Ephesians 2:8-9 state salvation is received by God's gift of His grace and not of works, rituals, ceremonies, sacraments and certainly not in a non existant place call Purgatory.

           Oriental religions do not believe in hell, but in reincarnation. If you do good works while in one's life you are reincarnated hopefully to be better existence. If you did not life a worthy life after death you may come back a worse state as an animal or maybe a tree. Karma is the ultimate goal of the oriental religions, and when you reach this state you become one with the universe . . .(what ever that means?). Hebrews 9:27 tells us "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27) When man dies he final and eternal distiny is determined. If a person accepts Jesus Christ by faith he goes to heaven. Paul said of believers "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6) There is not "karma" If a man dies having rejected God's grace he immediately goes to hell. (See Luke 16:19-31)n

           Mormons (LDS) teach that men who live a worthy and faithful life can go to a Celestial heaven and there become a god and have their own world to rule. Unworthy Mormons go to a lesser heaven and those who are not members of the LDS church go to a place they call the "spirit prison." Mormons teach a person can have a second change after death. If one is ends up in the spirit prison, a living Mormon can go to their temple and be baptized in proxy for the person who is dead. That allows the Mormon missionaries to the spirit prison and explain the Mormon Gospel to the deceased person. If that person accepts the Mormon Gospel, then they then can begin the process of exaltation, with all the necessary works being done in their temples by living people and they can get out of the spirit prison and go to the Celestial heaven. This is why they are so involved in genealogical research. They are looking for the names of dead people who they can baptize in proxy. They have had people baptized in proxy for Hitler, Stalin, and over infamous persons. As stated above, at death a man's distiny is already determined. Those who believe God and put their faith in Jesus Christ go to heaven and the rest will send eternity in hell with no second chance.

A. Some say they do not believe in a God of wrath. They understand that God is love and believe He could not let men suffer in hell for eternity for their sin. God is absolutely a God of love, and He desires that " . . . all should come to repentance." This is why He came to earth, God incarnate in man to suffer, die and be resurrected paying for the sinners of all men. (2 Pet. 3:9) He freely offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who will believe and accept His gree gift of salvation. However, if a man rejects God sacrifice for him and an does not care about his eternal destiny, they he prevents God from saving him. Thus the man condemns himself and shuns the love of his Creator. Those who deny hell have never really studied God's word as to what God Himself has said about hell.

           Let's make it clear to start with God is our Creator and He has revealed in His word the Bible who He is and what is truth. The Bible is the authority and therefore what God our Creator has written is they way things are.

           Before we actually get to what God tells us about what happens to those who reject God and Jesus's sacrifice for our sins when they die let's look at scriptures that will give us a background about man and sin.

1. Those who deny hell do not understand one important fact. Man is by nature a sinner and has sinned and therefore He is under the penalty of sin which is death.

           READ: Romans 1:18-32. This passages teaches several things.

- God's wrath is against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. V18.

- Man holds the truth in unrighteousness. The word "holds" means to hold down or suppress. That means man suppresses the truth.

- God gives everyman the truth. V19-20

- God's truth is manifested in every man because God shows it do him.

- Even nature shows man the that God is the Creator.

- God reveals Himself to every man and therefore man is without excuse.

- Man knowing God, refuses to accept Him, God's truth and are not thankful to Him and deliberately rejects the truth about God and foolishly has made his religion and gods like unto himself and the things of earth. Man willingly sins against God fully knowing it is wrong and destructive. Jesus stated the reason in John 3:19-20 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:19-20)

ILLUS: There was recently a debate in several states over allowing the teaching of creation by design along with evolution. However, the evidence is overwhelming that life and our universe had a Designer. Those that are trying to get this included in science classes are not identifying who the designer is or even saying that the God of the Bible is the Designer...but only that the earth and life shows the evidence of design. An evolutionist who opposes the teaching of design because he says it is not science. He said they if he, as a teacher was required to teach design in creation, he would spend his time explaining why the signs of design in life was not science! What a foolish and silly statement. Is is science that says design is not design!?
           The real problem is this teacher refuses to accept the evidence of the design in the Universe, because he knows,that the design that we clearly seen in all life and our Universe requires a Designer. That Designer he knows is all powerful and there is no one but Almighty God who has such powere. God created us and this universe, whether he admits it or not. So he makes such an idiotic statement that the design we see in life and our world did not have a Designer. The problem in accepting the clear evidence of design is that mankind has rejected God as the Designer and Creator of the Universe. To explain away the evidence for design they made an imaginary idea that life came by evolution from inert matter. It does not matter that they have never found any evidence of evolution anywhere in the universe, they deny the existence of God and therefore can only conclude that if there is no Creator Designer that life came from inert lifeless matter. Romans 1:18-23 explains why this teacher refuses to teach that life has design? He does not want to accept he is God's creation.

           2. The Bible is very clear about the state of a lost man who has or is rejecting God.
           "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:18-23)

           Romans 3:10-18 further explains the heart of those who refuse to believe in God and thereby reject Him and truth. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).

           1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man does not receive the things of God they are foolishness to him. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

           Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

           Revelation 20:6, 14, tells us that judgment and eternal separation in Hell is the second death, and the death spoken of here. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. . . .And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Revelation 20:6, 14)

           b. A man can only overcome his old carnal nature to sin when he believes God and puts his trust in Jesus Christ alone as his Savior. When a man savingly believes God gives him a new nature.

           Jesus said, to Nicodemus in John 3:3, ". . .Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "

          2 Corinthians 5:17 explains "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

           That simply means, that no sinner, will enter heaven without first receiving the new birth which means to be spiritually born! God gives the one who believes in Him a new spiritual nature and he can serve God. He literally becomes a changed person and child of God.

           Titus 3:3-7 clearly states that every child of God was once a sinner! Jesus said, he came into the world, not to bring the righteous to repentance, but to save sinners! Folks, the only way to see heaven, and escape hell is to trust in Jesus Christ, as one's Lord and Savior.

           "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7)

           Only Christ, can give a person the new nature. Only Christ, can wash away a man's or woman's sin and declare you righteous, and free of any guilt or penalty of sin.

           3. Heaven is a spiritual place where there is no sin. To let one unregenerate sinner into heaven would spoil it. A person must become spiritual to be able to go to heaven and not unspiritual person could exist there. You see, to know and take the things of God, one must have received the nature of God. The sinner who dies without Christ, doesn't have the nature of God.

B. Some people blame God for the wrong doing on earth.

           God is just and He will not violate a man's will. If a man wants to do wrong, reject God and live in sin, God will not prevent him for doing so. God will not make robots of men. Those who do not understand this, state that God should intervene, but if God intervened in the daily affairs of men and forced men to obey Him, they would be no more than programmed and controlled robots. God has made man in His own image and given him intelligence, emotion and a will. Therefore man can make his own decisions as to right and wrong. God in the Bible has plainly revealed to man what is right. God reveals to us the way He created things to be. God's way are the best and if accepted and obeyed result in the best life we can live. God wants man to willingly do what is right and therefore will not force a person to obey godly principles. God has loved us and He in turn has given us the ability to honestly love Him in return....but only if we want to. God is not responsible for the sins of mankind....man willingly sins and does what is wrong therefore he is guilty of sin and under the penalty of his sins.

II. THERE ARE TWO HELLS OR TWO PLACES WHERE THE UNSAVED GO AFTER DEATH. One is immediate and temporary and the other final and eternal. Let us look at what God has said to us in His word the Bible.

           A. The first is a place called the Bible calls "Hades." It is the temporary abode of the unsaved dead. It is translated in the Bible by the word "hell."

           Jesus in Luke 16:19, describes this place. It is a place of separation from God, it is a place of torment, and it is a place from which there is escape.

           1. Hades, is not the abode of Satan. He was never there, is not there now or ever will be. Hades is populated with the lost or unsaved who have rejected God through out history. All those that died throughout all the past history of the earth who refused to believe in God and receive His forgiveness and grace are there at this very moment.

           2. Hades, is a temporary place, and one day will be emptied. Revelation 20:11-15, states that at the Great White Throne judgment, all the lost from all the ages will be brought before Christ, and judged according to their works.

           Isaiah 45:23, God says every knee shall bow to Him, and Philippians 2:10, states that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. At the Great White Judgment, as Revelation 20:11-15 explains, every unsaved man on earth, whether small or great, will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Judge and will acknowledge Him for who He is, however it is too late for them. They will bow before Him in judgment.

           It will happen, there is no question about it. Just like death is a subject most would like to avoid, and many fail to accept, so is this judgment of all who refuse to accept God's free offer of salvation.

B. The final resting place of the eternally lost is a place Revelations 20:15 calls the "Lake of Fire." It is also called "Gehenna" named after a place outside Jerusalem, where the garbage was burned, a place that was always on fire.

           It is a place of eternal damnation, a place of eternal torment, based on the works a man did in his life.

           1. There the lost of this world will stand on an equal plain, each damned, without hope of reprieve. You see, they were offered a reprieve and salvation while they were living and they rejected it. Every person there knew the truth yet consciously made a decision not to believe and not to accept God's redemption and presence in their lives.

           God is seeking to save all men without exception, but most men resists or reject God's offer. Let me state again, the Lord Jesus stated, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)

           You see God tells us that the wages or end result of all sin is death. In our daily lives sin is destructive and causes us get pain and suffering. God is a God of love and does not want to see anyone having to experience the hurt and destructive effects of sin. That is why He came to the earth, suffered for our sins, and then died for us that we might overcome sin and have everlasting life and a place in heaven when we die.

           They could have received it by believing God and receiving Christ, yet they loved sin too much to give up their wicked ways, so they reject it, and enjoyed for a season, pleasures of this world. Now the folly and stark reality of their decision is made clear to them. It was fun for a moment in time, but now they are to spend an eternity reaping their just reward.

           2. The unsaved and religious people will be there, pleading one by one for Christ to accept their good deeds, church membership, wonderful works, says Matthew 7:22-23.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)
What a terrible thing to hear the righteous Judge, say, "Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you."

           3. In my commentary on Revelation 20:11-15, I make this statement:

           "Nothing is more pitiful, sorrowful, and utterly tragic, than that God loved man so much, that even when men, rejected His love, he still came and died a cruel death on Calvary's Cross. Jesus died and rose again making total and complete atonement for every sin and act of rebellion ever done by man on earth. Yet, most men, corrupted by sin and their own warped sense of self worth, chooses to die in his sins and willing go to hell rather, than let God, change him, for give him, cleanse him for sin, and give him eternal life.

ILLUS: There is a child's story of a king who was proud and very vain. He ask his tailor to make him the most beautiful set of clothes on earth or lose his head. The tailor thought and thought but was at a lost to come up with what the king wanted. He knew how vain the king was, so he concocted a plan to save his head. He pretended to make the clothes and put them on the king. He convinced the king he was dressing him in beautiful clothes. But the king just stood there in his underclothes. When he went out into the court the king although he could not see them, was so vain, he told the lords and ladies of the court how beautiful they were! Afraid of the king's wrath, they acted like he had clothes on. They king then went out into the street of the town to show off his new clothes and the people too, afraid of the king hid the fact he had no clothes on until one little boy, shouted out the truth...the king has not clothes on!!

           We can pretend there is no physical death and live like we will live forever. We can ignore the truth that after this life exists for us heaven or hell. But the truth is not changed. . . hell as real as heaven and we will spend eternity in one or the other.

           Some churches and denominations, down play the reality of hell. Some deny it, or make it temporary, and many believing them, put their trust in the false teaching and wake up in hell. No one ever born on this earth and given the precious gift of life itself should have to stand at that final judgment and be cast into the Lake of Fire.

           Why, oh why, does man reject God? Why does he willingly ignore eternity and enjoying a few moments pleasure that will be paid for in the eternal Lake of Fire.

           Why does he not now chose the best life possible, by believing God and accepting God's forgiveness and salvation. Why not put one's trust in the Creator who loved us and made us given suffered and died that we might be able to have his presence in our lives now and even into eternity after we die?

           Yet so many reject the Lord. Many even knowing it is true, put it off, or simply ignore it. It makes no Sense, no sense at all.

Conclusion: