The Afterlife

June 12, 2011 Is Hell Real?

Is Hell Real?

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Is Hell Real?

Sermon Series:

The Afterlife

Today’s Topic:

Is Hell Real?

Is Hell Real?

Key Words:

- Hell/Lake of Fire: a place of eternal separation - Sheol: the grave, a temporary place where all OT people went - Hades: temporary place for unrighteous people after the cross

Is Hell Real?

HELL

: the place of future punishment for the wicked. Greek is

Geenna. Gehenna

, just outside Jerusalem, was a dump where human sacrifices had been offered and where burning of garbage took place. This made it an apt illustration of the lake of fire.

Is Hell Real?

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 (gehenna)

. Matthew 10:28

Is Hell Real?

SHEOL

: “the place of the dead”, the grave (Numbers 16:30,33), and the unseen place of those who have departed from this life, the place of departed spirits of both the righteous (Genesis 37:35) and the wicked (Proverbs 9:18).

Is Hell Real?

Holman Bible Dictionary - Sheol was thought to be deep within the earth (Psalms 88:6); and was entered by crossing a river (Job 33:18). It is pictured as a city with gates (Isaiah 38:10), a place of ruins (Ezekiel 26:20), or a trap (2 Samuel 22:6).

Is Hell Real?

God is in Sheol (Psalms 139:8), and it is impossible to hide from God in Sheol (Job 26:6). God has power over Sheol and is capable of ransoming souls from its depths (Psalms 16:10). Restoration to an Afterlife is clearly intended.

Is Hell Real?

But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.

Psalms 49:15

Summary

: Sheol is not hell, it is the temporary place Old Testament people go to before the judgment.

Is Hell Real?

HADES

: is the New Testament counter part of the Sheol. It refers to the unseen world in general, but specifically to the abode of the un-believing dead between death and the final judgment.

Is Hell Real?

In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side

. Luke 16:23 Sheol is not used by New Testament writers, rather Hades or eternity. Those in Hades have a temporary separation before their final judgment.

Is Hell Real?

LAKE OF FIRE

: the eternal state of those who are forever separated from God and consigned to a place of suffering because of their rejection of Christ or their lack of the righteous-ness of Christ. This is another expression of hell.

Is Hell Real?

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

Revelation 20:14 - Everyone from Hades (those who rejected Jesus and have died) are placed in hell after the judgment.

Is Hell Real?

Is Hell forever? Jesus said “Yes”

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… Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Matt 25:41,46

Is Hell Real?

What does “eternal” mean?

Aionios

(everlasting or eternal) New Testament Greek Lexicon, “without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be; without beginning; without end, never to cease, everlasting.”

Is Hell Real?

Is there a second chance?

Jesus said “no”. It is impossible to go from one side to another once we die!

Luke 16:24

‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my

Is Hell Real?

tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between

Is Hell Real?

us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us .’

Is Hell Real?

Is there a second chance?

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

Hebrews 9:27 The writer of Hebrews says “no”. We get our chance before we die.

Is Hell Real?

What did Jesus do in the grave?

Ephesians 4:8-10

“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people .” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the

Is Hell Real?

very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

This passage says that Jesus rescued “his people” from Sheol (ex. Abraham) Those who were waiting in Sheol for the judgment and eternity to begin.

Is Hell Real?

After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

1 Peter 3:19-20

Is Hell Real?

- These are spirits or demonic angels, not people.

- They lived before Noah (is this the Nephilim Gen 6:4?) - Jesus was proclaiming his victory over sin to those who had opposed God and tried to bring corruption

Is Hell Real?

Conclusions:

- The Bible teaches that Hell is a real place where some live forever.

- It is consistently described as a place of fire where some live eternally.

- There are no second chances!

Is Hell Real?

Conclusions:

- We choose which part of the after life we will live in – heaven or hell.

- Knowing the reality of hell is one of the primary reasons why we invite people to know Jesus!

Is Hell Real?

Who avoids hell?

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (Jesus), should not perish (hell), but have eternal life (heaven). John 3:16