What is Hell About? Here's What Jesus Said. by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 Jesus had a lot to say about hell. In Matt 5:22, Jesus said that if you say to your brother, “You fool,” you're in danger of hell's fires. In Matt 5:29, 30, Jesus said if your eye is a problem, or your hand, pluck it out or cut it off, so that your whole body won't go to hell. In Matt 10:28, Jesus said don't fear those who kill the body, but can't kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. In Matt 11:23, Jesus said, “And you, Capernaum, that has been exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell, for if the mighty works, that have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” Even after all the miracles Jesus had done in Capernaum, they mostly didn't convert to Christianity. So we see that unbelief (or, lack of faith) sends people to hell. In Matt 16:18, Jesus said to Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against Jesus' church. The forces of hell, you see, are at war with God's people. Fortunately, the Lord has given us weapons against the enemy, such as in Ephesians chapt 6, and also the precious Holy Ghost, that you will have when you get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, with the speaking in unknown tongues. In Matt 18:8, Jesus said if your hand or your foot offends you, cut them off, and throw them from you, it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be thrown into everlasting fire. In Matt 18:9, Jesus said if your eye offends you, pluck it out, and throw it from you, it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be thrown into hell fire. In Matt 23:15, Jesus reprimanded the, scribes and Pharisees, and called them “Hypocrites! for you travel over sea and land to make one convert, and after he has been made, you make him twice as much the child of hell than yourselves.” In Matt 23:29--33, Jesus again reprimanded, “You, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. And so, you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets. Fill up then the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you generation of snakes, how can you escape the damnation of hell?” Again in Mark 9:43--48, Jesus said, “If your hand offends you, cut it off, it is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, Where their worms don't die, and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot offends you, cut it off, it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be thrown into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, Where their worms don't die, and where the fire is not quenched. And if your eye offends you, pluck it out, it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be thrown into hell fire, Where their worms don't die, and the fire is not quenched. In the above passage, Jesus said three times that in hell their worms don't die, and the fire is never quenched. Is it really so important that Jesus needed to say it three times? Yes, and I believe he would have said it a fourth time, if doing so would have kept one more person out of hell, where their worms don't die, and where the fire is never quenched. Jesus is very much hoping that we will understand that we need to do whatever is necessary to stay out of hell. And what is it that is necessary? Jesus said, “You must be born again.” (John chapt 3) You get born again by obeying Romans 10:9,10-- “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation.” In Luke 10:15, Jesus said, “And you, Capernaum, that has been exalted to heaven, shall be thrown down to hell.” In Luke 12:4,5, Jesus said, “And I say to you my friends, Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, who after he has killed has the ability to throw into hell, yes, I say to you, Fear him.” In Luke 16:19--31, Jesus tells about the rich man, and the beggar, Lazarus-- There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, also the dogs came and licked his sores. And the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being tormented, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he shouted, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, so he can dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in these flames. But Abraham said, Son, remember that in your lifetime, you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and you're tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a large gulf fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you can't, nor can they pass to us that want to come from there. Then he said, Please, therefore, father, send him to my father's house, For I have five brothers, so that he'll testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment. Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, No, father Abraham. But if someone went back to them from the dead, they'll repent. And he said to him, If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded, even if someone rose from the dead." Chapter 2 The rich man died, and went to hell. In hell, he was tormented in the flames. The rich man didn't want his brothers to also go to hell, like the rich man did. Jesus is the main authority on hell, and spoke of it quite a lot, during his ministry on earth. The reason Jesus spoke of hell so much is that He doesn't want people to go there. Someone might say, “Then why was hell created?” The Bible says hell was made for the devil and his (fallen) angels. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9) The word perish here means not just dying, but dying and going to hell. We will all die and go either to heaven or hell, according to the teachings of Jesus, and you won't find any better teaching than you get from Jesus in the Holy Bible. I say, we'll all die, with the exception of those who are “Raptured,” which is not exactly a word from the Bible, but is used to mean the catching away of the church composed of the believers on the earth at the time of the Rapture, as described in 1 Thes 4:16,17. Jesus taught that everyone goes either to heaven or hell after their lives on earth. And Jesus said that most people go to hell. “Broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in there. Narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt 7:13,14) I heard someone say, “Well, if I'm going to hell, I'll have a lot of friends there.” I can see why the man would think so. If the lifestyle he was living would get him to hell, then many of his friends with similar lifestyles, would also be going to hell. But his statement was not correct because of the fact that there is no friendship in hell, only torment, insanity, crying, gnashing of teeth, worms that won't die. And why do people gnash their teeth? People gnash their teeth because they're angry. Remember how it says in the Bible that the Jewish leaders gnashed their teeth at Jesus? They were angry at Jesus. He didn't flatter them. He didn't accept their persons. He called the Pharisees hypocrites. They didn't like that. Jesus didn't join their club. They didn't like that. Jesus wouldn't climb the same ladder of success that they had climbed. Why should He? He was King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He didn't need their club. He didn't need their little society. The smartest thing they could have done would have been to join his club, and become his followers, and go to heaven instead of hell. But they had a different plan, like in the story Jesus told about the vineyard. “Let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.” (Mark 12:1--11) And they did kill him, and then they died, and went to hell. So how good an inheritance did they get? Jesus was drawing crowds and had a following, and those Jewish leaders were left out. Before Jesus started his earthly ministry, those Jewish leaders were used to being admired and respected. But now, Jesus had come along, and seemed to be crowding them out. They need not have worried too much. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” After Jesus' rather short ministry of about three years on earth, Jesus went back to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. I heard an expression after I'd joined the U.S. military that I hadn't heard before-- “That torques my jaws.” What does it mean? It means, “That makes me angry.” This jaw torquing is pretty much the same as the gnashing of teeth. It's because of anger. But why are people in hell angry? Because they've been deceived, they've been cheated. Maybe the devil told them there is no hell. Maybe the devil told them there is no God. Maybe the devil told them that by being members of the church that they were members of, that church would get them to heaven. But church membership doesn't get you to heaven. They're angry because they had opportunity to become born again Christians and go to heaven, but somehow they missed it, and went to hell. That man who said, “Well, if I'm going to hell, I'll have a lot of friends there,” when that man and his friends arrive in hell, they will no longer be his friends, because they will be blaming him, and he will be blaming them for their being in hell. There is no friendship in hell. If you want friends in the afterlife, you'll have them if you go to heaven. If you don't want friends in the afterlife, then hell will prevent you from having them. Kenneth E. Hagin wrote a little book, “I went to hell.” That descent down toward hell happened before he had become a born-again Christian. He went right up to the gates of hell. He saw the flames of hell. But God spoke something from heaven that caused hell to shake, and Hagin came back up and went into his body. Hagin got born again, and I believe he is now in heaven. Some of his books are at Amazon.com, or also at www.Rhema.org The Jehovah's Witnesses will try to tell you that there is no hell. But Jesus said there's a fiery hell. Now someone is lying, and I know it's not Jesus. The Jehovah's Witnesses are also lying when they say that only 144,000 people will get into heaven. No, John the Beloved, who wrote the Book of Revelation, looked into the future, supernaturally, and saw thousands of thousands in heaven. A thousand thousand is a million. There will be millions of people in heaven. So, again, the Jehovah's Witnesses are teaching false doctrine. The Bible says, “All liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.” (Rev 21:8) The first stop on the way to the Lake of Fire is hell, because the Bible says that death and hell will be thrown into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone. So, many of the Jehovah's Witness will go to the hell that they said did not exist. But as they are tormented in hell, they will see that they were teaching wrong. It says, “the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.” Strong's Greek Dictionary, from the Power Bible, says that brimstone is sulphur. I know from college chemistry lab that when sulphur gets hot, it makes a terrible stink, and I've heard that if you get any hot sulphur on you, it'll leave a nasty burn. ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.