The Doctrine of Hell Part 3: The Description of Hell

 The Doctrine of Hell Part 3: The Description of Hell 

We have just finished a three-part series on “Knowing our Enemy,” and now we turn to the opposite side of the coin so to speak. We will have a series on the Doctrine of Hell. The first week, we studied “The Inhabitants of Hell. "Last Sunday, we examined, “Some Facts About Hell.” Many preachers are unsaved themselves, so they won’t tell you the truth about Hell. This ministry will always provide you with the complete Gospel message which includes the truth about Hell. Let us never be afraid to preach the whole counsel of God. There is a rebellion against God’s Word and man is substituting his own philosophy for the Word of God. The result of a worldwide rebellion against the Bible is manifested in the almost universal rejection of the Bible as the verbally inspired Word of God. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD, whether you believe it, or whether anyone believes it. Man’s depraved mind and will rejects that part of the Bible which does not suit him, or that which he cannot reason out. Therefore, multitudes today are rejecting WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HELL because of their materialistic philosophy. But when they wake up in Hell, they will know the truth of the Word of God. We will continue today on “The Description of Hell."

Introduction

Consider the following: "THOU FOOL," said the Lord one day about a man who had lived only for self and had come to face the Judge of all the earth without Christ, without hope, and without God. "THE FOOL HATH SAID IN HIS HEART...NO GOD," so says the Word of God in Psalms 14: 1. If a person is a fool for living for self, and a bigger fool for ruling God out of his heart, the biggest fool is the one who denies the existence of Hell. Who could be more stupid, blind, ignorant fool than the individual who denies the existence of Hell and tries to cover it up with a false religious belief that will not stand the test of death and judgment.

Listen to the death scenes of infidels:

1. Old Voltaire the noted infidel died a horrible death. His nurse who was by his bedside when death came, said, "For all the wealth of Europe I would not see another infidel die."

2. Sir Thomas Scott said, "Until now I thought there was no God or Hell; now I know there are both, God and Hell, and I am doomed."

3. "I'm in the flames," cried Hume the infidel. His despair was an awful scene.

4. Kay, a noted infidel, cried as he faced eternity, "Hell, Hell, Hell." His dying moments were so awful that his family fled the house until he was dead.

5. Charles IX died saying, "I am lost, I see it well." When Thomas Paine came to die, he said, "Stay with me; I fear to be alone."

Our subject today is THE DESCRIPTION OF HELL, let us study what these infidels learned too late at their deathbeds'.

Description 1: Hell is an Awful Place

Now listen closely, the Bible is true whether you believe it or not. II Peter 2: 4 says that Hell is a PRISON for the damned; Revelation 20: 10, 15, says that Hell is a LAKE OF FIRE for Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet, and the damned. Isaiah 33: 14 reads, Hell is a DEVOURING FIRE, and Revelation 20: 1 says that Hell is a BOTTOMLESS PIT. Psalm 18: 5 says that Hell is a PLACE OF SORROWS. Then, turn to Psalm 11: 6, you find that Hell is a HORRIBLE TEMPEST of the wrath of a sin-avenging God: “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”

Hear this, if Christ is not your portion, then the wrath of God in Hell shall be your portion. Matthew 13: 42 states, “And shall cast them into A FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.” Isaiah 33: 14 says that Hell is a “DEVOURING FIRE AND EVERLASTING BURNINGS.” The Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 16: 23, that Hell was a PLACE OF TORMENTS; “And in Hell he lifted his eyes, being in torments.”

Revelation 14: 11 says Hell is a place where “the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

My friend, you have seen the awfulness of Hell by these Scriptural descriptions. Why do you want to go there? Some people have said to me, “I want to go to Hell because all my friends will be there. It will be a big party.” In your spiritual blindness you may laugh and joke, but that will all stop immediately when you experience the awfulness of Hell. When the Holy Spirit awakens you to your lost condition, YOU WON’T MAKE FUN OF HELL ONCE YOU SEE THAT IS YOUR FINAL DESTINATION IF YOU DON’T TURN TO CHRIST!

Description 2: Hell is a Place of Outer Darkness

Matthew 8: 12 reads: “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into OUTER DARKNESS.” The time to pray for forgiveness is this side of the grave because Hell is a place where your prayers will never be answered. Luke 16: 31 reads: “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” The rich man was making a request but the answer was “no.” THERE WILL BE NO PRAYERS ANSWERED IN HELL. God will answer your prayers now sinner; so cry for mercy now while you still can! Don’t give up! Don’t come in your name, come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who died for your sins. Plead for mercy on one basis: that Christ gave His life for you as your substitute. Go to the throne of grace and cry for mercy.

Description 3: Hell is a Place of Screaming

Hell is a place where THEY WILL SCREAM FOR MERCY, BUT THERE WILL BE NO MERCY IN HELL. In Luke 16: 24, we read: “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” The Lord Jesus was talking about two characters here: one went to Heaven and one went to Hell. Which road are you traveling, friend? THERE ARE ONLY TWO ROADS: THE NARROW WAY WHICH LEADS TO LIFE ETERNAL, AND THE BROAD WAY WHICH LEADS TO HELL. There is no middle ground for you to stand upon. Only in this life do you have a choice. Matthew 12: 32 says that hell is a place where folks can never repent: “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” 

The Holy Spirit works repentance in the heart of the awakened sinner. John 16: 7-11 reads: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” After the Holy Spirit grants repentance as a gift from Heaven to the heart of the sinner (II Timothy 2: 25-26), then the sinner is enabled to turn toward Christ and Him alone for salvation. If you will not have repentance in this life, you won’t have it in Hell. GOD GRANTS NO SINNER REPENTANCE AFTER DEATH (Luke 16: 19-31). This is one reason why it is so sad that many modern preachers don’t preach repentance and offer a “decision” or “profession of faith,” or a “sinner’s prayer” as an ineffective substitute that will take people to Hell.

Description 4: Hell is a Place of Everlasting Punishment

Hear the Word of God in Matthew 25: 46: “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Everlasting means eternal, ages upon ages, never ending, no hope that it will ever come to an end. Yet, you are going there because of your stubbornness and your pride and rebellion. May God help you to break you now and turn to Christ. Oh, that you would burn every bridge behind you and follow the Lord Jesus Christ as His disciple.

Description 5: Hell is a Place of Blackness and Darkness Forever and Ever

Jude 13 reads: “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” Yes, it is the midnight of which there will be no end. I know today we live in a postmodern world where everyone has their “truth” and it is totally subjective. With this philosophical worldview, you may believe that God will send them to Hell for eternity. God is love and He loves everybody, correct? Yes, God is love, but He is also justice and holiness. Those attributes would not allow for sin to be in Heaven. The reason you don’t see it and the reason you can hear a message like this and have no fear or reaction is because YOUR HEART HAS NEVER BEEN OPENED TO SEE THE HELL IN YOUR BOSOM. You have never been made to see your depravity and your wicked heart. If God, by the Holy Spirit shows you the depths of your sinfulness, yet He did not give you the gift of repentance, you would become a raving maniac. That is exactly what Hell is, because Revelation 16: 10 says: “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain….” Mark 9: 48 states: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” I beg you to let those phrases sink in: “gnawed their tongues for pain,” and “fire is not quenched.” These conditions are so horrific they are beyond my words to convey their terror. Friend, run to Christ and ruin away from Hell!

Hear again the words of Revelation 14: 10: “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb….” Won’t it be awful beyond words of description to have to stand in the presence of the slain Lamb whom you would not have to be your Lord, whom you rejected as a substitute, and now you will be tormented and punished for your sins for all eternity. Yes, Hell is a place where you will drink the wine of the wrath of God. You will have no choice but to go to Hell, if you will not repent and Christ as your Lord.

Description 6: Hell is a Place Prepared for the Devil and his Angels

Listen to Matthew 25: 41: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels….” Hell is a prepared place for the devil and his angels. Why should you go there? It was not prepared for you. But if you reject Christ, Satan is your master and you will spend eternity with him. God made no provision for Satan and his angels to be saved, so He created Hell for them. You will go to Hell because of your own choice because you will pay for your sins. YOU GO TO HELL BECAUSE YOU ARE A SINNER, and you will suffer in Hell BECAUSE OF YOUR SINS.  

Now get this and make sure it sticks with you: YOU GO TO HEAVEN BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SUBSTITUTE–THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! You get well because of the remedy; you die because of the disease, and that disease is sin. 

Let us look again at God’s Word, Psalm 9: 17 reads: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” I want to call two facts to your attention. First, Hell is a place for the wicked, “Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,” the broad way turns into Hell. Second, “All nations that forget God “shall be turned into Hell.” Now, I want you to notice that phrase, “ALL THE NATIONS;” He is talking about whole nations! In times past, whole nations have turned down the Gospel, and we have no evidence that any individual in them was saved, and whole nations have been turned into Hell. There is only one remedy for sin, and that is the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. There is no name given among men whereby we must be saved, except the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4: 12). Hell is a place for murderers, liars, the abominable (includes the LGBTQ+ movements), whoremongers, and such like (Rev. 21: 8). Hell is a prepared place for those who will not have God rule over them. This is a general description given in God’s Word for Hell. 

Now, let us look at individual Scriptures that will give a more detailed description of Hell: Matthew 8: 12: “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” HELL IS A PLACE OF OUTER DARKNESS. THE LOST WILL BE CAST INTO OUTER DARKNESS. The lost sinner is living in the darkness of unbelief, spiritual blindness; they thought they saw the truth but they did not. There is no truth apart from Christ. They thought their darkness was light. John 1: 5 reads: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (that is, did not lay hold of it).” Then God’s Word says in John 1: 11: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” 

They did want the true light, they wanted their darkness. Therefore, having rejected the Light, they will be cast into outer darkness. 

Description 7: Hell is a Place of Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

Matthew 8: 12 reads: “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This is a physical illustration, and a vivid one, that Christ used to describe the anguish of Hell, the suffering in Hell, to those who go there, and especially he is talking about unsaved religionists. They will weep over lost opportunities. But the picture that it gives here is regarding those who have been led to Hell through false preaching and under a religious covering. Here is an individual who has preached a false doctrine of salvation, led men and women to believe it and to believe that they are saved. In the process of time the leader will die and go on to Hell, and one by one his converts will meet him there. As they meet him, they will ask him questions: “Why did you lead us astray?” “Why didn’t you tell us the true way of salvation?” They will together weep in the flames of Hell forever and ever. They will gnash their teeth because they were led to Hell through a false system of doctrine that does not produce life. 

Conclusion

I speak to any preachers or lay leaders, are you prepared to meet in Hell those who sat under your ministry or teaching? What will it be like to wake up in the torments of Hell knowing that it will never end? I tremble for ministers and churches today that preach a false doctrine of salvation. 

In closing, let me ask you one question, “DO YOU KNOW CHRIST?” God has only one remedy, and that is Christ, who died in your place as your substitute. It is not a question of how much you know about Him, but rather, do you know Him? Listen to me closely, I want to ask you one final question: Can you honestly say, with judgment day honesty, “He’s mine; I am  His. He died for me. He is my hiding place, my Shelter and I am persuaded that nothing can separate me from His love. 

So, what is your answer?