The Bible unmistakably speaks of a foreboding place known as hell or “Gehena” in Greek, which translates to a place of misery.
From the dawn of time, Satan and his cohorts were expelled from heaven due to their defiance. This malevolent being then proceeded to deceive Eve, paving the way for Adam’s willful disobedience to God. This act of rebellion distanced humanity from the paradise they once knew and ushered in the inevitable reality of death.
Yet, in the face of this bleak panorama, God offered a beacon of hope. Through the symbolic shedding of innocent blood, He foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, promising the eventual downfall of Satan’s dominion.
Aware of his impending doom, Satan, with a sense of urgency, seeks to deceive and mislead humanity, hoping they’ll share in his grim fate of eternal separation from God.
Over time, various misconceptions about hell have surfaced. Some outright deny its existence, while others grapple with reconciling the concept of a benevolent God with the existence of such a place. So, what does the Bible genuinely teach?
Hell is depicted as residing in the heart of the earth, a realm once divided to house both the righteous and the wicked, separated by a vast chasm. This realm is characterized by fire, torment, and an agonizing awareness of one’s past choices.
However, a final judgment awaits where the unsaved will face a reckoning, leading them to the Lake of Fire, distinct from hell.
This judgment is contingent on their rejection of the light that God has given the world.
Yet, amidst this somber narrative, Jesus offers a way out. He warns of the dire consequences of rejecting Him, which is eternal separation from Him.
His sacrificial death, however, is a universal invitation to salvation. God’s ultimate desire is for no soul to perish but for all to embrace repentance.
The ball is now in our court, as echoed by a hymn: “O sinner, won’t you come to the Savior tonight?” Jesus, with open arms, extends the offer of salvation, urging us not to let Satan rob us of this eternal hope.