The man in hades is in constant torment. The man in hades can talk, hear, see, feel, and remember. The man in hades is continuing to exist. That is, he is not being consumed by the flames. The man in hades has only two desires: He wants to stop hurting. He wants to keep others from joining him. There is a great gulf (canyon) that can not be crossed separating hades and paradise. So, How Does Anyone End up in Hell? As we learned earlier, Satan and his demons have punishment coming and we learned that God will prepare a punishment of fire for them—something like Sodom and Gomorrah had. That “something” is the eternal fire we call “hell.” The next passage reveals what will happen on what the Bible terms as the “great Day.” Passage 7: Revelation 20 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Did you notice how “Death and Hades” are personified starting in verse 13? They both “delivered up the dead who were in them.” It is as though Death and Hades swallow people. Notice how Death, Hades, and everyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life get thrown into the same hell that Satan and his demons deserve. There you have it—how people end up in hell. Although hell is an awful place not meant or designed for people, most people choose to go there. What Do You Mean I Choose To Go To Hell? Actually, you choose to go to hell by not choosing to go to heaven. That is, You can choose to get right with God through Jesus and spend eternity in heaven —or— you can choose anything else and spend eternity in hell. Here is how it works. When someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, their name gets written in the Book of Life. Those people whose name is written in the Book of Life will go to heaven. The people who have not accepted Christ as their savior will not have their name written in the Book of Life. Since their name is not in the Book of Life, they will go to hades when they die, and later end up in hell. The Bible makes it clear that there is only one way to heaven—through Jesus. All other ways lead to destruction, as Jesus tells everyone in these final passages. Passage 8: Matthew 7 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” And just where is this “way?” Actually, it is a who: Passage 9: John 14 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 00:21:05 +0000