Last week, during a break at church, I found myself in a conversation with a woman about the grace of God when the subject of Hell briefly arose. This lady stated that she didn't believe Hell is eternal, or words to that effect. Her comment struck me as odd, but I didn't pursue it any further. As I got to thinking about it I asked myself, "If Hell isn't eternal, is that really punishment for not accepting Christ as Savior?" I have a friend who has said that we "are already experiencing Hell on Earth." Given all the suffering going on in the world, I can understand where a comment like that would be made. However, what does scripture say about Hell?
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25: 40-46
If we are to take the words of Jesus, literally, then it is clear that Hell is a place of eternal damnation and separation from God. To say otherwise would seem to be born of ignorance or of the flesh. From a human perspective, it is obvious to not want anybody to face an eternity in the torment of Hell. After all, if God is a loving God, how could He do such a thing? But, when we think about it, we do similar things all the time in our criminal justice system. How many people are in prison, sitting on death row, awaiting execution or have been given life in prison? Is not this a form of "eternal" punishment? None of these criminals will ever get out of prison alive. They have forfeited their opportunity to experience a life of freedom like those of us outside of prison. Therefore, I don't believe it much of a leap for a just God to send people to Hell for breaking His law of faith in Christ for entrance into Heaven. Honestly, if Hell isn't eternal, but temporal, there is really not much of a reason to vehemently share the Gospel.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28
There are two primary reasons for putting a criminal in prison. The first reason is to punish them for the crime they have committed. The second reason is to protect society from their criminial behavior because we are afraid that they will continue to be a menace to society. If we incarcerate criminals because we are afraid of them continuing their life of crime then why would Jesus tell His disciples not to be afraid of those who can kill the body? The Lord's statement should give us pause. We shouldn't be afraid of murderers, but rather we should be afraid of a God who can send people to Hell. If all that awaited unbelievers was a temporal punishment than one could argue that there isn't enough reason to accept Christ. Some could say that they will just eat, drink and be merry, live life to the fullest and then see what happens when they die. Granted, even temporaral punishment in a Lake of Fire is not a desireable outcome, but knowing it is only for a short time may not be enough to disuade some.
"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment..." 2 Peter 2:4
"In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." Luke 16:23
Hell, a place of gloomy dungeons and torment! This sounds a lot worse than "hell on earth." And what are the dungeons for if Hell is only temporary? The bottom line is that hell is eternal. While believers face an eternity of bliss in the presence of a Holy God, unbelievers get the exact opposite. They get an eternity of agony, separated from God, in my opinion, so they can think about all the times they rejected Jesus and His offer of salvation. In my earlier days as a Christian, I once found myself in a bookstore debating a friend about Jesus Christ. My friend who was an unbelilever, and still is to the best of my knowledge, did all he could to try and refute Christ's claim as "the way, the truth and the life." Shortly before the conversation ended, and perhaps out of a bit of frustration, I told my friend that if He doesn't accept Jesus Christ before he dies that the conversation we had that day would be replayed over and over in his mind for all eternity as a form of torture. I didn't have any proof that would be the case, but I do believe that those in Hell will have a conscious existence while there.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3: 8-9
It was not God's desire that any of us go to Hell. Hell was originally created for Satan and his angels. But, now it is reserved for those who reject Christ. I have read where the average human lifespan is about 80 years. For those that live to that age and beyond, it may seem like a long time. Yet, in the eyes of God, it is a blink of His eye. When you compare those 80 years to eternity, and compare the struggles of that lifetime to the unimagineable horrors in Hell, it should be enough to make even the most stubborn individual investigate the claims of Jesus Christ. God is patient with all mankind, not wanting any of them to perish and be sent to Hell. Imagine if God said to you that He would give you 80 years to decide if you wanted to go Heaven or to Hell. I am sure you would choose Heaven in less than 80 seconds! Given that scenario I would hope that anybody who has not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ seriously consider what He came to give. Perhaps the words of a friend of mine will make this decision simpler. "For a believer, this life is the worst it will get. For an unbeliever, this life is the best it will get." The choice is yours.
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