“Part of me doesn’t want to believe in hell… Don’t believe something just because you want to, and don’t embrace an idea just because you’ve always believed it. Believe what is biblical.”[1] As Francis Chan describes, people do not want to believe in hell, especially not when it involves eternal judgment. He exhorts believers to embrace the Bible’s teaching anyway, no matter their personal beliefs. Though many have sought to ignore, change, or reinterpret Scripture, it is clear and consistent throughout the Bible that hell is a place of eternal, conscious punishment.[2] Additionally, hell satisfies the requirement of God’s judgment for sin by serving as a place where all crimes committed on earth can be repaid and where those who are sinful can be banished for eternity. Finally, though some have supported ideas that either hell is temporary and all will be saved or that in the end unbelievers simply cease to exist, they have been unable to demonstrate that their theories are consistent with the nature of God, depravity of man, and evilness of sin. The doctrine of hell as an eternal place of punishment is supported by the Bible, satisfies God’s judgment, and is a fitting punishment for sin.
Supported by the Bible
The Biblical understanding of hell as a place of eternal punishment begins with ancient Judaism and the Old Testament. Unfortunately, the Old Testament is neither “clear with respect to distinctions between the wicked and righteous in death,” nor does it present a consistent picture of hell.[3] In order to find theology on hell, it is best to look to the prophets. Whereas many people in the Old Testament make comments about the grave, the pit, and the netherworld, these references are typically idiomatic and do not necessarily represent a theology[4]. However, the prophets Isaiah and Daniel spoke about hell within prophecy and thus their statements reflect a divine understanding of hell.[5] The prophecy related in Isaiah 66:24 is couched in a general prophecy about the final day of the Lord.[6] In this verse, the righteous of the Lord “see the dead bodies of the men… [their] worm will never die, their fire will never go out.”[7] Though this verse does not directly speak about the netherworld, or Sheol, it utilizes two common metaphors: “unquenchable fire” in reference to eternal judgment and “worms that never die” in reference to eternal decay.[8]
The second major prophecy that contains a mention of hell is found in Daniel 12:1-3; like the prophecy in Isaiah, it comes at the end of a section refering to the end times.[9] This passage sheds light on the majority of Old Testament references to hell as well as the post-resurrection version of hell.[10] Daniel refers to what many in the Old Testament call Sheol or the pit, initially lumping the righteous and wicked together when he speaks of them as “asleep in the dust.”[11] However, it is clear from Ezekiel 32:21-27 that while all go to Sheol upon death, they have different experiences there based on their deeds on earth. Those who were most evil are recorded as being in “the deepest regions of the Pit.”[12]
Daniel’s prophecy goes on to discuss the results of the resurrection. In Daniel’s vision, some are resurrected “to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt.”[13] This contempt is best represented by “the disposition one has towards the putrid and malodorous carcass of a dead animal infested with maggots and in an advanced stage of decay.”[14] In nature “the body returns to dust and the repugnancy ends,” but Daniel speaks of an eternal disgrace and contempt when he uses the word olam, which denotes the concept of “time without end.”[15] Both Isaiah and Daniel seem to speak of an eternal punishment for the wicked, and it is no coincidence that Jesus and other New Testament writers reference both of these authors when discussing hell.
Jesus maintained, built upon, and solidified the teachings on hell found in the Old Testament.[16] In John 5:28-29, Jesus reiterates the concept that “all who are in the graves” will be resurrected, some to “life” and others to “judgment.”[17] One of the details of this judgment is that it is eternal.[18] In Mark 9:43-50, Jesus borrows heavily from Isaiah 66:24, mentioning both “the unquenchable fire” and the “worm that does not die.”[19] The full meaning of these words is captured in Matthew 25:46, when Jesus specifically contrasts the destinies of the elect and the wicked, saying the wicked “will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”[20] In order to understand Jesus’ view of eternal punishment, it is necessary to understand the “eternal fire as a place prepared for the devil and his angels.”[21] In his book, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, Shedd notes that the Jews believed demons to be “hopelessly and eternally lost spirits.”[22] When Jesus linked the final resting place of the cursed humans to that of the demons, He was declaring that the punishment would have an everlasting nature.
Jesus also taught that hell would be a place of punishment, or “retributive suffering.”[23] Jesus uses the term geena, or Gehenna, twelve times in the gospels. Gehenna was a word used for hell that evoked the Valley of Hinnon.[24] This was a place where executed criminals were dumped after their execution and the “filth of Jerusalem” was burned.[25] Shedd also notes that Gehenna was one of three words used to describe eternal destiny in the early church; in this case, Gehenna was “a technical term for endless torment.”[26] Jesus’ usage of Gehenna and “eternal fire” in his teachings demonstrates that those that entered hell would receive eternal punishment for their sins.
Further elucidating the teachings of Jesus on hell, John used extended metaphor to describe the reality of “final punishment.”[27] The destiny of those who rebel against God, as depicted in Revelation, is that “the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever” as “God’s wrath” is poured out upon them.[28] John likens God’s wrath to wine being poured out, and the wine’s effects to torment.[29] By saying that the torment of hell will continue “forever and ever”, he has made a definitive link that God’s wrath, which causes the torment, will also continue forever and ever.[30] Additionally, the lack of rest “day or night” is a symbolic way of referring to ongoing, unending punishment.[31] This linkage becomes especially strong when joined with Revelation 20:10, which says that “the Devil… the beast and the false prophet” will also be “tormented day and night forever and ever.”[32] Like in the Old Testament, the demons and unrepentant humans are depicted as being punished in the same place and for the same length of time, strongly evoking the eternal nature of the punishement. Thus, though image-heavy, John taught that hell was a place of eternal punishment for the wicked.
Satisfies God’s Judgment
It is clear that the Bible defends and teaches the concept of eternal punishment in hell, but the question of whether God’s justice necessitates hell still remains. It is a fact that much evil committed in this world has gone unpunished. For example, both Hitler and Stalin oversaw the murder of millions of people, yet Hitler died by suicide and Stalin by heart attack. Neither of them stood trial for their crimes nor received any punishment while on earth. From an earthly perspective, justice seems to have been circumvented, yet Paul himself says “Do you really think… that you will escape God’s judgment?”[33] He speaks of a future judgment and punishment after death, whereby the unrepentant are “storing up wrath” for themselves “in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.”[34] In other words, God seems to guarantee that his justice will be served regardless of whether it comes on earth or in the afterlife.
There are three aspects of God’s just wrath against sin that are satisfied through the existence of hell. The first of these is punishment for sin. In order for this punishment to be just, it must be conscious and consist of suffering.[35] God explains His justice through the concept of equal restitution in Exodus 21:23-24, where He explains that “If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.”[36] It is important to note that there are times when an earthly punishment cannot possibly satisfy the full demands of justice, such as in the case of Hitler, who cannot be executed a million times. In these cases, hell is necessitated so that God can mete out an appropriate punishment. Without hell, “His justice would not be satisfied and His glory would not be furthered in the way He deems wise.”[37] The requirement for the judged to be conscious for the punishment stems from God’s justice as well; as stated in Hell Under Fire, “if hell did not consist of conscious suffering, it is hard to see how it could in any meaningful sense be worse than death.”[38] In order for sin to be fully punished, the sinner must be conscious of the punishment.
The second aspect of God’s justice that hell satisfies is that it is a place of destruction. While we are on earth, the ramifications of our sins are not allowed to run their full course. However, in hell, those who are “ready for destruction” will be allowed to be destroyed.[39] Biblical writers use the word destruction to refer to “loss, ruin, or corruption.”[40] Those in hell are completely destroyed in that they have “lost the essence of [their] nature or function.”[41] As long as God is still pursuing a person, their destruction cannot be complete because there is still potential for redemption. However, in hell, the person’s “intended state” or created purpose will perish.[42] In this way, the judgment for sin will be fully satisfied; in hell, God’s mercy is completely removed.
Hell also satisfies God’s third requirement for justice, which is banishment. Jesus specifically illustrates this concept of banishment when He tells the unbelievers, “I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!”[43] There are a number of reasons why this is a required part of judgment. The necessity of banishment is derived from the disparity between holiness and sinfulness. In Isaiah 59:2, the prophet states that “your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God.” On earth the barriers of sin are not permanent, but that is only a result of God’s mercy and delay in executing judgment. Once the final judgment occurs, God needs to have a place where sinners can be wholly separated from Him: namely, hell.[44] Secondly, as Paul states in Galatians 5:9, “a little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough.” Sin cannot coexist with holiness without spreading. Thus, the bride of Christ will be separated from the unrighteous in order to preserve her sanctification and holiness. For God to be just, those who have chosen Him must not be subject to an eternity of temptation. Finally, in hell, God justly gives man over to their rejection of Himself, resulting in “the complete domination of sin.”[45] While on earth, God does not give man the option of not being pursued; hell is the place where man can fully and justly live out his rebellion.[46]
One argument often levied is that God’s justice as exhibited through hell is incompatible with the love of God. This sentiment arises out of a belief that “the love of God will melt every hard heart, and even the most ‘depraved sinners’ will eventually give up their resistance and turn to God.”[47] The problem with this argument is that it vuews neither God’s love of man nor His hatred of sin in the way that He does. For example, Jeremiah 2:5 says that those who “follow worthless idols… became worthless themselves.”[48] Humanity often sees sin as a mere mistake or some temporal transgression; in reality, sin destroys, devalues, and lays waste to everything and everyone it touches.[49] Hell is the place where after death this transformation is completed and repentance and forgiveness are no longer available to the sinner. While a person lives, he is given a lifetime to “seek God, reach out and find Him.”[50] What Paul says in Acts 17:30 is of utmost importance: that “God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world.”[51] Hell is a justified sentence because God has given every man every opportunity to accept His mercy and forgiveness prior to the judgment itself.
Fitting Punishment for Sin
Though hell is both Biblically warranted and philosophically justified, some have posed alternatives that they deem are more fitting punishments for sin. For example, Clark H.Pinnock in Four Views on Hell proposes that “God does not grant immortality to the wicked to inflict endless pain upon them but will allow them finally to perish.”[52] This view is known as annihilationism, and its defense relies upon the Biblical “language of death and destruction” and “ruin and perishing” to justify it.[53] It reinterprets the word “eternal” to mean “irreversible” rather than “endless”.[54] Pinnock relies heavily on Psalm 37 and its references to the wicked vanishing “like smoke” and being “eliminated” to defend his view.[55]
One primary mistake that Pinnock makes in his assessment of hell concerns his premise that sins only have temporal, finite consequences.[56] His argument that there exists “a serious disproportion between sins commited in time and the resulting [eternal] suffering,” makes the mistake of viewing the crime from a human perspective.[57] In human courts, people are punished temporally for their crimes, but the first century Pharisees understood and taught “that the soul suffered eternal conscious punishment” for all transgression against God.[58] Paul brings clarity to the difference between temporal and eternal punishment when he says that “sin is not charged to one’s account when there is no law… nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses.”[59] In these verses, Paul hints at two types of punishment. One, as Pinnock elucidated, is the Mosaical “eye for an eye” style punishment for specific sins. The second is a judgment related to the reality that sin causes permanent separation from God and total destruction (i.e. deprivation, loss of meaning, loss of function). The characteristics of a single sin must be encompassed by the fact that “sin is inherently against God, who is infinite.”[60] In this way, people will suffer under God’s judgment for eternity, not in payment for a “specific” sin but a penalty related to the rejection of God, “a penalty none of us can fully understand.”[61]
Pinnock’s strongest argument concerns his belief that love and eternal punishment cannot be reconciled.[62] However, this argument fails upon examination of the Ten Commandments. Some think that murder is the worst of all sins and indeed it is one of the most evil sins a human can commit against another, for which reason its punishment usually involves the death penalty. However, the first commandment is “Do not have other gods besides Me.”[63] Even in the afterlife, people will continue to break this commandment if they have not repented and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Breaking the first commandment is analogous to murdering God in one’s heart.[64] Considering that breaking the first commandment is a continual act by the unrepentant sinner, “our guilt must be enormous.”[65] In hell, it is impossible to repent of these sins; therefore, the suffering incurred as a result is justified. God’s love is reconciled to this eternal punishment in that it would be unloving of Him to unjustly leave this sin unjudged.
The other primary rejection of eternal punishment in hell is the idea that “no matter how many eons it takes, [God] will not rest until all of creation… is reconciled to him.”[66] According to this view, called universalism, “God’s loving concern for his creation will outlast all our willfullness and pride.”[67] Universalism claims that God pursues a person even after death until they accept “the Christ of the gospel,” and assumes that all will accept given enough time.[68] The first problem with this thesis is that it places God in a position where He “put[s] on the screws tighter and tighter until we come to ourselves and are willing to consider the good He has prepared for us.”[69] In essence, God pressures us so heavily into accepting Him that at some point He overrides our free will. In the universalist view, man is devalued because ultimately he cannot reject God. This flies in the face of Jesus’ comment that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”[70] This verse is very clear that humanity does have the option to permanently and eternally reject its creator.
Secondly, universalism downplays the severity of hell. If hell is a place that can be escaped, it is not urgent that we do what is necessary to avoid it. Yet, Psalm 1:6, Psalm 37:20, Daniel 2:35, John 3:16, Philippians 3:19, and others all claim that hell is a place where people perish, are destroyed, or are consumed with “not a trace of them to be found.”[71] This is why Jesus uses extreme language when dealing with sin in the Sermon on the Mount, saying, “It is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”[72] The universalist theology believes that hell is ultimately God’s rehabilitation plan, but there is nothing in the Bible to support this view. In fact, all evidence points to a hell where the unrepentant “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”[73]
The Bible emphatically paints a picture of the existence of hell as an eternal punishment that satisfies God’s judgment and is a fitting punishment for sin. The constant references to an eternal unquenchable fire and to a worm that does not die speak volumes to the magnitude of the punishment that even the smallest sin deserves. When sin is examined in the light of God’s justice and holiness, it is clear that a temporal punishment could never cover the severity of sin. As believers, it is important to maintain the reality of eternal punishment in hell because it provides an appropriate understanding of the depth from which Christ’s death on the cross has truly saved us. For “unless there is an eternal separation from God from which people need to be delivered, the cross is emptied of its real meaning.”[74]
[1] Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle, Erasing Hell, (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2011), 15.
[2] Randy Alcorn, Heaven, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2004), 26.
[3] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 1207, Kindle.
[4] Ibid., 899, Kindle.
[5] Ibid., 1207, Kindle.
[6] Ibid., 1229, Kindle
[7] Isaiah 66:24 (HCSB).
[8] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 1249.
[9] Ibid., 1268, Kindle.
[10] Ibid.,1283, Kindle.
[11] Ibid., 899, Kindle.
[12] Ezekiel 32:23 (HCSB).
[13] Daniel 12:2 (HCSB).
[14] Ibid., 1308, Kindle.
[15] James Strong, Strong’s Complete Word Study Concordance, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2004), s.v. 5769; Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 1308, Kindle.
[16] Randy Alcorn, Heaven, 25; Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 1684, Kindle.
[17] John 5:28-29 (HCSB).
[18] Lee Strobel, The Case for Faith, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 252.
[19] Mark 9:43-50 (HCSB); Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 1633, Kindle.
[20] Matthew 25:46 (HCSB).
[21] Matthew 25:41(HCSB).
[22] William G.T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, (New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1886), 266, Kindle.
[23] Ibid., 611, Kindle.
[24] Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2004), s.v. Gehenna.
[25] Ibid., Gehenna; William G.T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, 611, Kindle.
[26] Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Dictionary, s.v. Gehenna.
[27] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 2667, Kindle.
[28] Revelation 14:9-12 (HCSB).
[29] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 2686, Kindle.
[30] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 1149.
[31] Revelation 14:11 (HCSB).
[32] Revelation 20:10 (HCSB); Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 2741, Kindle.
[33] Romans 2:3 (HCSB).
[34] Romans 2:3-5 (HCSB).
[35] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 3486, Kindle.
[36] Exodus 21:23-24 (HCSB).
[37] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 152.
[38] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 3513, Kindle.
[39] Romans 9:22 (HCSB).
[40] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 3538, Kindle.
[41] Ibid., 3538, Kindle.
[42] Ibid., 3538, Kindle.
[43] Matthew 7:23 (HCSB); Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 3567, Kindle.
[44] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1939), 736.
[45] Ibid., 737.
[46] Acts 17:27, John 3:16 (HCSB).
[47] Rob Bell, Love Wins, (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2011), 107 as cited in Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle, Erasing Hell, 24.
[48] Jeremiah 2:5 (HCSB).
[49] John F. Walvoord, Zachary J. Hayes, Clark H. Pinnock, Four Views on Hell, eds. Stanley N. Gundry and William Crockett, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 3548, Kindle.
[50] Acts 17:27 (HCSB); Norman L. Geisler, If God Why Evil, (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2011), 1579, Kindle.
[51] Acts 17:30 (HCSB).
[52] John F. Walvoord, Zachary J. Hayes, Clark H. Pinnock, Four Views on Hell, eds. Stanley N. Gundry and William Crockett, 2052, Kindle.
[53] Ibid., 2074, Kindle.
[54] Ibid., 2074, Kindle.
[55] Psalm 37:20, 38 (HCSB).
[56] John F. Walvoord, Zachary J. Hayes, Clark H. Pinnock, Four Views on Hell, eds. Stanley N. Gundry and William Crockett, 2206, Kindle.
[57] Ibid., 2206, Kindle.
[58] Ibid., 2517, Kindle.
[59] Romans 5:13-14 (HCSB).
[60] John F. Walvoord, Zachary J. Hayes, Clark H. Pinnock, Four Views on Hell, eds. Stanley N. Gundry and William Crockett, 5059, Kindle.
[61] Ibid., 2558, Kindle.
[62] Ibid., 5009, Kindle.
[63] Exodus 20:3 (HCSB).
[64] Matthew 5:21-22 (HCSB).
[65] Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds., Hell Under Fire, 5084, Kindle.
[66] Ibid., 4123, Kindle.
[67] Ibid., 4123, Kindle.
[68] Ibid., 4313, Kindle.
[69] Ibid., 4467, Kindle.
[70] Mark 3:29 (HCSB).
[71] Daniel 2:35 (HCSB).
[72] Matthew 5:30 (HCSB).
[73] 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (ESV).
[74] Norman L. Geisler, If God Why Evil, 1379, Kindle.
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