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Hell does not exist

Many do not believe in life after death, whether it is heaven or hell.  These are often the same people who deny the existence of God.  However, the doctrine has found its way into some churches.  British philosopher Bertrand Russell was a champion of this view.  He was an agnostic, not a Christian.

He writes about Christ and his position on hell: “I really do not think that a person with a proper degree of kindliness in his nature would have put fears and terrors of that sort into the world.”  He later speaks of the cruelty of teaching about hell and disregards its existence basically because a loving God wouldn’t have created hell.

There are many who regard hell as story, or something told to kids to scare them into acting properly, much like “Be good or Santa Clause won’t bring you any gifts.” 

Some Christians disregard hell as being unreal because its images are too horrific.  Any reference to hell must simply be a metaphor for something else. 

To ignore the existence of hell, for whatever reason, requires a person to ignore numerous verses concerning hell and its nature or depiction.  To begin to pick and choose verses from the Bible and throw out ones a person doesn’t like is extremely dangerous. 

Assuming a literal interpretation of the Bible, there is much to be said about hell.  Even if one takes an extremely metaphorical view of these passages, they are still left with the issue.  They can disbelieve the depictions of hell, but it is still spoken as a real place – just as real as heaven is.  To take heaven as literal and hell as figurative would be quite foolish.

Here are some of the Biblical references to hell: 

Matthew 5:22 “But anyone who says ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Revelation 1:18 “I am the Living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

And the book of Isaiah ends with this unsettling verse- 66:24 “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

For those non-Christians who deny the existence of an afterlife, they only are lying to themselves.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  Eternity is in our hearts; anyone who denies its existence denies their hearts.

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Hell is Annihilation

This view has been growing in popularity in churches around the world.  The concept has become known as annihilationism- the unbeliever is annihilated upon being thrown into hell.  This is in fact what the depictions of hell are about.

This view of hell was created because of people’s inability to associate a loving God who would torment people forever.  Proponents of this view cite a number of scriptures to back up their point.  They do believe in hell and that a loving God would punish those who reject Him.  They do not believe that this punishment is eternal (God can’t hold a grudge forever).

Hell is known as a place of fire, the Bible uses this description in many places.  Annihilationists argue that fire consumes and destroys.  Traditional thinking is that the fire is meant for torture, but proponents of this view say that it is a consuming fire and destroys anything that is fed into it.  Verses that describe the fire as being eternal and unquenchable are still correct, but what is thrown into them is not eternal.

The second major argument for this view concerns God’s sense of justice, which is why many hold to this view.  Eternal punishment would not be fitting of the crime.  The Bible proclaims and eye for an eye.  If a person is a murderer, they are to be killed.  If an ox is accidentally killed, the price of a new ox is to be paid.  Eternal punishment would be hardly fitting for a lifetime of bad deeds.  Even the worst of sinners would not deserve an eternity of punishment.

I’ve also found a great similarity between this teaching and one of Buddhists.  A good Buddhist's ultimate goal is to reach nirvana, a state of nonexistence.  Buddhists believe that they will be reincarnated after death until they reach spiritual enlightenment allowing them to achieve nirvana.  At this point they believe they will stop being reincarnated back into a painful world.  This is their equivalent to heaven.  A Buddhist’s ultimate goal is to not exist!  This is what annihilationists argue is what becomes of an unbeliever after death.  There is still punishment they would argue, but the end result is the same as nirvana- a state of non-existence.

Most importantly however, the destruction of the nonbeliever is contra some passages of the Bible that speaks of eternal punishment.

In the passage in Isaiah 66 (referenced to acknowledge the existence of hell) undying worms and unquenchable fire are depicted.  It was disgraceful for a body to lie exposed and being eaten by worms.  However, normally maggots would die once their work was done.  Likewise, a fire goes out when there is nothing left for it to burn.  Both of these would seem to imply an eternal punishment.

Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.  They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  Verse 15 depicts those whose names are not found in the book of life thrown into the same place. 

I don’t know how to spin “for ever and ever” into something that does not mean eternal punishment.  Those in support of annihilationism I’m sure have an explanation for this and other references to eternal torment.  The only way I see around these passages are to say that everlasting or eternal does not always mean “eternal.”  Depending on the context of the passage, sometimes it may have limits upon it.

However, like the argument for the existence of hell, the eternality of hell is dependent on the eternality of heaven.  Daniel 12:2 speaks of both in the same sentence.  “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

In this situation, like before, if everlasting life is forever, shame and contempt is likewise forever.  If everlasting is something other than forever in this situation (i.e., a long punishment and then destruction into oblivion) then heaven would have a time limit placed upon it as well.  I do not know of any believer who will say that heaven is not eternal because hell is not.

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Everyone goes to Heaven

This unfortunate teaching has really gained support in recent years and nothing could be more distant from the truth.  This teaching is known as universalism.  These people see eternal punishment or hell of any kind to be incompatible with God’s love.

Universalists find it impossible to believe that Christianity is the only way to heaven.  They cannot fathom a God who would send devout Muslims who do not hold Christ as their savior to hell.

Likewise, most will say that everyone worships the same God; they simply have different names for him and worship him in different ways.  Some will quote Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

Univeralists will also quote I Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  There are numerous clergy who, even if they do not hold to other universalists’ teachings, believe that all will be saved.

Unfortunately, this is simply not true, as nice of a thought as it may be.  Honestly, who really wants to think that their neighbor, best friend, parent, or sibling will not go to heaven.  Even worse is the thought that if they don’t go to heaven, their only other option is hell.  Because of this, many have simply ignored the consequences of sin.

Truthfully, I could stop right here and declare this view absolute garbage.  What good is Christianity if everyone goes to heaven anyway?  Is it simply the best set of guidelines to live life by?  Why missionaries?  Why church, aside for fellowship?  Why worship?  Why would we care about anything at all religious if everyone went to heaven?  I could go on with this for quite a while as to how this makes no sense, but allow me to continue forming my case.

Romans chapter 1 declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together becomes worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”  “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin.”

What becomes of all of those who aren’t righteous?  Christians are declared righteous through faith in Christ but what about those who are not righteous, those who are obvious sinners.  Does God turn His back and let them slip into heaven?  Does God say, well, you tried to live a good life, but you were following the wrong religion all the time?  But hey, I’m a loving God, so I’ll let it slip.  Or what about- Hey Hitler, I’m sorry you didn’t get the memo that the Jews are my people.  Since I’m a forgiving God, I’ll forget about it this time, just don’t let it happen again.

Seriously, I have a very hard time believing that anyone who thinks everyone goes to heaven expects to bump into Adolph Hitler while they’re there. 

Sin separates us from God and we have no right to expect anything but judgment for our sins.  If sin did not prevent us from reaching heaven, Jesus Christ had absolutely no reason to come to earth and die on the cross.  There would have been no point in his resurrection, but there was no penalty for sin to overcome.  I really don’t know how anyone who believes in universalism can actually be called a Christian. 

For those who teach that all religions reach to heaven, here are some verses:

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  NO ONE comes the Father except THROUGH me.”  (Emphasis added)

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I can’t put it more plainly here.  There are two paths that can be taken.  What’s more is that Jesus clearly states more people are going to hell than heaven.  This is totally contrary to the Universalists teachings but there is no getting around God’s Word.  This is clearly what the passage says.

Of course, God is love and it is difficult for many to believe that God would punish people instead of forgiving them.  It is especially difficult to fathom a God who would punish someone who has a deep religious belief but simply believes the wrong thing.  The Bible contains many, MANY instances of just this thing however.

In Genesis alone, God judges Adam and Eve and throws them out of the Garden of Eden.  He does not later forgive and forget and let them back in.  God judges sin in Noah’s flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah .  How many people are killed in just those two instances?  Does God then welcome these people with open arms into heaven?  Is everyone else partying in heaven while Noah is stuck in a boat with a bunch of stinking animals?

Egypt is a very religious nation.  There are numerous gods in Egypt at the time of Moses.  But for some reason, God strikes down the first born of all other misled but still highly religious people.  As Joshua leads the people into the Promised Land, he is ordered to destroy many towns along the way.  These are towns of devout people are massacred on many accounts.  Is this under the instruction of a loving God who accepts all faiths into heaven as long as they are devout?

Centuries later, God personally sends the angel of the Lord to strike 185,000 Assyrians in 2 Kings 20:35.  Was it God’s love, or his forgiveness, that wanted these 185,000 men with him in heaven sooner?

Of course these are all Old Testament references, and God was a vengeful God then.  Once Jesus came however, God is nothing but love and forgiveness.  Of course, God doesn’t change, so this isn’t it.  As Malachi 3:6 states, “I the Lord do not change.  So you, O Israel descendents of Jacob are not destroyed.” 

God was loving and forgiving in the Old Testament, and he is likewise vengeful in the New Testament.  Ananias and Saphira are struck dead for lying.  The book of Revelation is full of judgment.  In the first three chapters, containing the seven letters to the churches, there is even condemnation. 

God is loving, and God is forgiving.  Make no mistake about this.  He desires all to be saved.  It is for these very reasons that he sent his son into the world.  It is only through belief that Jesus died and rose to take the penalty for our sins that we might go to heaven.  This is the love and the forgiveness of God.  Any church that does not teach this is off the mark.  Anyone who teaches that there is no hell or no judgment for the wicked or worse – that everyone who has a devout but possibly misled belief – is in serious danger.

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Hell – Eternal Torment

No, nobody wants to hear it because it’s a bad image, but hell is real.  It isn’t politically correct to say it, but people are going to go there.  It is not a place where of a red devil with horns and a pitchfork rules and torments people.

Every description we have of hell is of a horrific place.  It is a place of shame, of darkness, of torment.  It is of burning sulphur.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth because of the pain.  Hell was originally prepared for the devil and his angels.  It ends up as the destination of many for broad is the road that leads to destruction.

Jesus made numerous references to hell.  He calls it a fiery furnace.  He speaks of it as a real place.  There are many allusions to hell in his parables.  Those who are cut off and kept away from (the king, the master, and other such figures in the parables) are left in the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Numerous places speak of eternal torment and the fires of hell being forever.  Those whose names are not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of burning sulphur.  There is no room for exception in this statement.  It does not exclude those who never heard the gospel.  It does not allow for good, devout people involved in the wrong religion.  Anyone whose name is not there, is cast away. 

This depiction of hell troubles many who cannot align the concept of a loving and forgiving God with that of hell.  However, these people forget that Christianity is solely based on the life and death of Christ.  It was because of God’s love and forgiveness that Christ came to earth at all.  “There is no one righteous.”  “The wages of sin is death.”  If not for love and forgiveness, we would all be bound for eternal torment.  Man chooses to reject God and his plan of redemption and leaves God no choice but to banish unrighteousness from His holy presence.

If you’re unsure about whether you are going to heaven or hell, please read my article on salvation and don’t hesitate to email me.