FREE ESSAY ON HELL AND HEAVEN

HELL AND HEAVEN

Matthew Jay Krachunis
May 2000
Hell
The idea of heaven entices and encourages believers and non-believers alike. It is
enjoyable to envision a place of eternal rest and relaxation, in the presence of God and
loved ones. Heaven does exist according to the Bible, and is the destination of the
believer in Jesus Christ at the completion of life on this earth. What is not encouraging
is the fact that there is a place for those whom God chooses will not inherit everlasting
life. This place is commonly referred to in the English language as hell. It is not
metaphorical nor is it mythological, it is real in every sense of the word; a true
literal hell. It is a time as Guthrie says in New Testament Theology, " to inquire about
the state of the lost, a subject which tends to be neglected or else glossed over.....the
final state of those who are not in the book of life" (Guthrie p. 887). This will be the
focus of this discussion, the eternal state of those individuals whose name will not be
found in the book of life.
To fully understand the implications of the declaration of a place of eternal damnation,
one must first understand what that place is. The common use of the word "Hell" is
considered colloquial and comical to some. In the bible, the idea of the term 'hell' is
expressed in more ways than one. The terms Gehenna (Matthew 5:22), Hades (Matthew 11:23),
and Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) are terms that have been interpreted to believe as
hell. 
The term 'Gehenna' occurs twelve times in the King James version of the bible. It occurs
in all three of the synoptic gospels, but most notably in the book of Matthew in which it
occurs seven times. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible defines Gehenna as " A
name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell" (Strong's p. 19). Jesus
Christ spoke of Gehenna and warned people of it. Jesus said in Matthew chapter five verse
thirty, " for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for
your whole body to go to hell". It is as Guthrie says, " There is no way of avoiding the
conclusion that Jesus firmly accepted that there was a counterpart to heaven for those
who were condemned before God " (Guthrie p.888). It is clear that Guthrie believes that
there is an eternal and literal hell. Therefore, because Jesus stated it, and Guthrie
supported it, shows that it must have a certain importance about it. 
In Mark chapter nine verses forty-two through fifty, Jesus is talking about the
importance of understanding of the implications of a sinful life and where it will lead.
In the following passage, the usage of the word 'hell' is interpreted as the Greek word
'Gehenna' and Jesus says, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for
you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes
out" (Mark 9:43). It can be construed from this statement that Jesus is adamant about the
reality of the conditions in hell. It can be assumed that Jesus is not advocating the
actual removal of the hand, but is speaking about the horrifying reality of hell. He is
admonishing those who are listening to understand that theoretically, not having one of
your hands would be better than spending eternity in hell. As Stamps says in the notes of
the Full Life Study Bible, " the place of unquenchable fire is so terrible that every
influence of sin must be opposed and rejected no matter what the cost "(Stamps p. 1497).
Clearly, hell is an eternal existence that would be far worse than a missing limb. 
Next, Stagg states in The Broadman Bible Commentary that Gehenna was a term that "came to
symbolize the place of judgment for the wicked" (Stagg p. 109). Furthermore, Stagg
declares that Gehenna is derived from Hinnom, a valley west of Jerusalem, where the
garbage was burned from the city (Stagg p. 109). The aforementioned passages reinforce
the idea that hell is not a rhetorical or spiritual existence but a real place. It is not
a heap of figurative 'burning garbage' or a place of eternal rest, it is hell. It is as
Finis Dake in God's Plan for man states, " There is no statement in Scripture that even
hints of a spiritual fire that will torment people; so even to question the reality and
literalness of Hell is showing opposition to the Bible" (Dake p. 185). 
Hell does exist according to the bible. Stamps says, " Jesus teaches that there is a
place of eternal punishment for those condemned before God" (Stamps p. 1425). In many
passages in the synoptics, Jesus states the reality about hell and describes it. It is a
terrifying reality to think about a place that has a "Fire that never goes out" (Mark
9:43), with "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Mark 13:42, 50). Hell cannot be understood
to be a place for the proverbial horned man with the hoofed feet, red body and trident
staff. Neither Satan nor his demons rule hell, or perform any acts of destruction from
there. It is a place of eternal torment, where souls and demons reside in an eternal
fire. There is no end or rest to the horrific torment they receive. It is as Guthrie
states, " the message is unmistakable that hell and torment are inseparable" (Guthrie p.
889). 
The terms 'Gehenna' and 'hell' are not an idea of annihilation, either spiritual or
physical. Hell was not intended to be understood as a complete end to existence for the
non-believer. Guthrie states, " those who dislike the whole idea of eternal punishment
either regard both heaven and hell as mythological or else dismiss the sayings by
assigning them to church tradition" (Guthrie p. 888).For support, Matthew chapter
twenty-five verse forty-one states " Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels". Furthermore, Jesus says that those who are
not accepted by the Lord will be condemned to an 'eternal fire'. In addition, in verse
forty-six, he states, "They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to
eternal life". It can be concluded from the reading of these two verses that the term
'eternal' is meant as such. Also, Jesus speaks about those who are condemned to the fire,
and that their existence is eternal. He continues to say that the dispensation of the
believer, who has eternal life, is the same. Strong's definition is the same for both
verses. "Eternal" is defined as "eternal, forever, everlasting" (Strong's p. 3), which
reinforces the fact that hell is not a temporary existence, but an eternal one. In the
book Kingdom of the Cults, Walter Martin is refuting the Jehovah's Witness's idea of the
non-existence of eternal damnation. Martin says, " Death is not extinction, hell is not
an illusion, and everlasting conscious punishment is a terrifying reality of God's
infinite justice upon the souls of unbelieving men" (Martin p.92). There is no end to
hell or the existence thereof. It is as Guthrie says an "undeniable fact that judgment is
eternal" (Guthrie p. 892). Furthermore, Stamps says, " The wicked will not be allowed to
enter Christ's kingdom, but will go into eternal punishment" (Stamps p. 1461). To
reiterate the point further, Finis Dake in God's Plan for Man, says that " The argument
that Hell is not eternal and that it will come to an end is a mere invention of demons
and of humanity" (Dake p. 111). Theologians and the text of the synoptics agree that hell
is an eternal and continual torment for those who are sentenced to reside there. Hell
does exist and is a place of eternal torment and misery.
From the above discussion, it is clear that Jesus believed in a literal hell. He spoke on
it, and discussed it with his followers. Also, The apostle Paul discusses the truth about
hell. Guthrie says, " The apostle is specific when he says that they will 'suffer the
punishment of eternal destruction'"(Guthrie p. 890). Paul is very clear about the state
of the wicked when they perish from this earth. In Philippians 3:19 Paul said, " Their
destiny is their destruction". It is as Guthrie says, " There is no doubt that he (Paul)
recognized the certainty and seriousness of the coming judgment, although he did not
dwell on the details" (Guthrie p. 891). Richard's says in the Complete Bible Handbook,
"There is no attempt to obscure the fact that "wrath and fury" await evildoers when they
face God the Judge" (Richards p. 531). Again, it is very clear that theologians and
apostles alike agree with the idea of hell. 
The most shocking of all the New Testament letter writers is that of 2 Peter chapter 2.
In verses four through ten, Peter outlines those who have been found in judgment of God
and the means in which he uses to deal with them. Verse 4 says, " For 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). Peter is speaking of those angels who joined a
rebellion with Satan and attempted to exalt themselves (Ezekiel 28:12). When these angels
attempted to rise up, God created hell to put them there. Peter is admonishing the
readers that as God has dealt with the angels when they sinned, how much more will he
deal with his children as they sin against him. God is not a respecter of persons, He
shows no favoritism. Everyone is treated the same. This is the point that Peter is
attempting to get across, the righteous judgment of those who sin and the consequences
thereof. They will be sent to hell. 
Furthermore, Guthrie says, "In Revelation there is a more graphic representation of hell"
(Guthrie p. 891), and this is true. For example, Revelation says, " and the smoke of
their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who
worship the beast and his image" (Revelation 14:11). This smoke should be taken in a
literal sense, because it goes hand in hand with the statements which Jesus made. Jesus
spoke of a lake of fire, an eternal place, and this passage continues with that thought.
The smoke could be understood as coming from the fire, and "no rest" means just that;
there will be no rest for those who are condemned to hell. It will be an eternal state in
which they will not be able to escape. Guthrie writes on this verse and says, " There is
no question about the severity of this judgment" (Guthrie p. 891). Also, Revelation
chapter twenty verse ten, speaks of " burning sulphur' and that "they will be tormented
both day and night" (Revelation 20:10) which reiterates the aforementioned scripture.
Hell is a place of eternal torment and destruction, and in the end, it will be filled
with those souls who choose to reject God. 
Since God created hell to house Satan and the other fallen angels (Ezekiel 28), it should
be construed that it was not created for the believer. God's will is that none would
perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The term perish as Stamps says, "is the
forgotten word of verse 16. It points not to physical death, but to the dreadful reality
of eternal punishment" (Stamps p. 1588). God's will is not to create beings to try and
follow a bunch of regulations so that he can send them to hell. His will is that He loves
all of creation, and he offers them the gift of eternal life, and if they choose life,
they may have it. Those that choose to reject God will live in a state of eternal
separation from Him. Not because he has chosen to send them there, but because they have
chosen to not choose everlasting life. 
Jesus said, " Not everyone who says unto me 'Lord Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven"
(Matthew 7:21)and he concludes this passage with " Then I will tell them plainly, I never
knew you, away from me you evil doers" (Matthew 7:23). Jesus makes a bold statement that
those who do not choose to have a relationship with him will find themselves eternally
cast away from the presence of God. Guthrie supports this by saying, "to be excluded from
God's presence is the real meaning of hell" (Guthrie p. 890). When speaking of separation
from God in the lake of fire, Dake says "there is nothing mysterious about it as some
make believer" (Dake p. 752). So, in addition to being in the lake of fire, the
unrepentant person will be eternally separated from God; no longer able to feel his wind
or his grace, or to call out and have him hear. They are eternally damned to the lake of
fire to spend eternity in the burning sulphur. 
In Matthew chapter twenty-five verses thirty-one through forty-six, Jesus is telling the
parable of the sheep and the goats. He explains that those who are not in a right
relationship with God, and do not show their love for their neighbor, will not be allowed
to enter into eternal life. It can be concluded from this passage that Jesus is speaking
about those who choose to not show hospitality to either God, or their fellow man. He
says, " 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 25:45-46). It must be understood that those who do not maintain a
right relationship with God, cannot inherit eternal life. 
Also, Revelation reads, "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he
was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Jesus said, " He who overcomes
will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of
life" (Revelation 3:5). Stamps says, "To have ones name blotted out of the book of life
is to lose eternal life itself, and to be condemned to the lake of fire" (Stamps p.
2011). That lake of fire will be the destination of those who do not overcome, who do not
know Jesus and have relationship with him. Which brings us back to our original focus:
The state of those whose name will not be found the book of life. Those names who do not
appear in the book of life will be sent to hell, a real tangible hell that is described
by Jesus himself as a lake of fire that burns. It will be a horrific place where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and there will be no end to it. It is eternal in
every sense of the word, and those who are condemned to it will spend eternity there.
There will be no second chance for them. The dispensation of those who choose to separate
themselves from God will be separated, separated eternally to the point of destruction. 
Likewise, Dake says, "There is nothing to be gained by denying that there is a real hell
(Dake p.752). Guthrie says, " The doctrine of eternal punishment is not an attractive
doctrine and the desire to substitute it for the view that, at the judgment, the souls of
the wicked will cease to exist, is understandable" (Guthrie p. 892). Hell is real, and
those who choose to deny the real existence of it, could quite possibly find themselves
there. If one denies that there is no hell, they better hope not, because the Creator of
the universe knows the hearts of all His creation and holds the future of the earth. 
In conclusion, it has been discovered what hell is, and what hell is not. Hell is not a
mythological place, but an actual literal place of eternal torment and suffering. It
exists to hold those souls who are sent there, by their own choice, because they did not
choose God. Hell is an eternal place that will never cease to exist. It will remain
permanent and those who are sent there will spend eternity in the lake of fire, where
there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Those whose names are not found in the book of
life will be sent there, and remain there forever. There are two places where people will
go when their physical body ceases to breathe; one is heaven and the other is hell. If
one's name is in the book of life, heaven is their inheritance; if one's name is not,
then they will literally go to hell. 
Bibliography
Dake, Finis Jennings. God's Plan for Man. Lawrenceville, Georgia: Dake Publishing
Incorporated, 1977.
Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Theology. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press,
1981.
Martin, Walter R. The Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany Fellowship
Inc., 1977.
Richards, Lawrence O. Complete Bible Handbook. Dallas, Texas: Word Incorporated, 1987
Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. The Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1978
Stagg, Frank, Editor. The Broadman Bible Commentary. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman
Press, 1969.
Stamps, Donald C., Editor. The Full Life Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The
Zondervan Corporation, 1992.
Strong, James. The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville,
Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1995.