Hell – a literal prison of fire and torment where the wicked are kept until they are cast into the lake of fire
In Matthew 5:22 Jesus gave this admonition “…whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell”. This wasn’t a figurative or parabolic statement Jesus made, but an actual warning He gave His disciples. The word translated “hell” is the Greek word “Geena”, which also refers to the place of fire and everlasting punishment for the wicked. The reality of the eternal torment for the wicked in a literal lake of fire at the end of the age has been undeniably clarified by Jesus (Part 1 and 2 of series). And in the discourse Jesus had with His disciples below, He affirmed that before the end of the age those who die without repenting end up in the literal fiery place of torment called hell (Luke 16). It is a place where they are kept until the end of the age, when hell itself and its inhabitants are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15; Part 1&2 of this series).
In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus gave an account of a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man who lived and died. Jesus gave no indication that this account was a parable as He (and the Scriptures) did with other parabolic stories He told. Neither did He liken one thing to another in this account. Thus, the Scriptures give us no basis and leaves us no room to conclude that the account of Lazarus and the rich man was a parable or figurative story. On the contrary, Jesus revealed the literalness of the account He gave while He spoke to His disciples.
Jesus indicated that when Lazarus died, He was carried to Abraham’s bosom where he was comforted but when the rich man died he went to hell (Greek “Hades”, meaning the lower world of the dead, with reference to hell for sinners), where he was tormented. Here, Jesus affirms that when the physical body dies, (the sprit (the real you) and the soul (mind, will, intellect, emotions) continues to live on in a place pre-determined by the choices we make while we are still alive. Jesus went on to make His disciples aware that Abraham knew of the account He was giving about Lazarus and the rich man, and told them about a dialogue Abraham had with the rich man while he was in torments in hell (Luke 16:25-31). Now, Jesus’ disciples knew that Abraham was not a mythical or fictional figure. They knew him as someone who was still living spiritually, although he had died physically (Mark 12:26-27). Therefore, for Jesus to tell them that Abraham was aware of the events He was talking about, and that he had spoken with the rich man is for Jesus to corroborate his story as an actual event that took place, with Abraham as a witness. Thus, He eliminated any assumption on the part of His hearers that the account He was giving was fictional or figurative. In this way, He and Abraham both affirmed that the rich man ended up in a literal fiery place called hell (Luke 16:23-24). Otherwise, for Jesus to say that Abraham, whom He affirmed was still living (Mark 12:26-27), spoke with the rich man in hell while Abraham did no such thing is for Jesus to lie. But as the Scriptures teach, Jesus is the truth, and He cannot lie (John 14:6; Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19). Thus, the Scriptures also establish that Jesus’ statement about Abraham having a dialogue with the rich man in hell is something that actually happened. And as we are told in this account, the reason for anyone to end up in hell is a refusal to repent (Luke 16:30-31). This place of fiery torments for the unrepentant is also referred to as a prison where the spirits of the disobedient are kept (cf. 1 Peter 3:19-20).
Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity, and He has given us the Scriptures alone for doctrine. May we not be deluded and presumptuous enough to base our doctrines on our own understanding instead of what the Scriptures teach. Let us not become so darkened in our understanding and presume on the kindness of God to our own eternal doom. For we are told not to only behold the kindness of God, but also His severity. And in His Severity, He cuts off into the literal fires of hell and the lake of fire those who willingly choose to practice sin without seeing the need to repent (Romans 11:20-22, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 14, Revelation 20).
Postscript:
If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour, this is the time to surrender your life to God, and accept Jesus as your Saviour. This is the way to eternal life and salvation from hell and eternal torments when this life is over. You can pray this prayer sincerely from your heart to receive Jesus as your Saviour:
“I come to you God in Jesus name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask that You forgive me of all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
August 7, 2018.