Understanding Hell, the Lake of Fire, and the Heart of God

Introduction: The Reality of the Future

Scripture Focus: Revelation 21:1-8

"1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Notes & Comments:

• The Inescapable Teaching: It is impossible to ignore the Bible’s teaching on Hell. The Greek word used is Gehenna, which refers to a place of utter misery.
• The Origin of Evil: Sin entered the universe when Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven. Though Satan deceived Eve, Adam chose freely to disobey God, leading to their expulsion from Eden and the loss of access to the Tree of Life.
• The Sentence of Death: Since that day, humanity has faced physical death. Adam lived 930 years under the constant threat of mortality.
• The Promise of Grace: God did not forsake humanity. He provided a picture of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ by clothing Adam and Eve in animal skins (requiring the shedding of innocent blood) and promised that the "seed of the woman" would eventually destroy Satan’s kingdom.
• Satan’s Desperation: A third of the angels fell with Satan. Some are currently held in a "holding cell" (Hell) awaiting judgment. Because the Devil knows his time is short, he is busy deceiving and blinding the world.

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:4

"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;"

Scripture: Revelation 12:12

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

I. The Place Called Hell

Notes & Comments:

• A Created Prison: Hell was not originally created for humanity, but as a prison for fallen angels who were too numerous or powerful for the world to contain.
• The Location: The Bible illustrates Hell as being in the "lower parts" or heart of the earth (Luke 10:15, Ephesians 4:9).
• The Great Gulf: Before Christ's resurrection, the "underworld" contained both Hell (torment) and "Abraham’s Bosom" (Paradise), separated by a fixed, impassable gulf (Luke 16).

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 - The Rich Man and Lazarus

"19 There was a certain rich man... 22 ...the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments... 24 And he cried and said... I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things... 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed..."

Key Lessons on the Nature of Hell:

1. Immediate Destination: There is no purgatory or soul sleep. The rich man was in torment immediately upon death.
2. Conscious Awareness: The rich man could see, feel, thirst, and-most painfully-remember. He remembered his life and his brothers.
3. The Greatest Torment: The greatest pain of Hell is the total separation from the presence and glory of God (2 Thess. 1:9).

II. The Place Called the Lake of Fire

Notes & Comments:

• Distinction: Hell is a temporary holding cell; the Lake of Fire is the final destination.
• The Resurrections: Believers are part of the "First Resurrection" (Rev 20:6). The unsaved will be part of a second resurrection-not to life, but to judgment (Acts 24:15, Daniel 12:2).

Scripture: Revelation 20:11-15

"11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it... 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works... 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The Judgment of Works:

• Degree of Punishment: While all in the Lake of Fire are separated from God, they are judged "according to their works." This suggests degrees of punishment based on the "light" (truth) a person received and rejected (Luke 12:47-48).
• Accountability: Standing before God, people may try to plead their "wonderful works" (Matthew 7:22), but if they never did the will of the Father-which is to believe on the Son (John 6:40)-they remain unknown to Christ.

III. The Heart of God

Notes & Comments:

• God’s Lack of Pleasure in Judgment: God does not desire for anyone to perish. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
• The Finished Work: Jesus tasted death for every man. When we trust Him, His righteousness is credited to our account, and our sin debt is canceled.
• The Danger of "Almost": One of the most tragic states is being "almost persuaded" (Acts 26:28) or knowing the way but turning away from it (2 Peter 2:21).

Scripture: Ezekiel 33:11

"11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

Scripture: Luke 8:12

"12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved."

Conclusion & Invitation

The Devil is a thief who wants to steal the seed of God's Word from your heart so that you share his fate. But God offers a pardon that is full and free.

The Hymn Writer's Call:

O sinner, won’t you come to the Savior tonight? He’s anxiously waiting to bring you to the light; He offers you and me His pardon, full and free, O sinner, come to Jesus now.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does knowing that Hell was not originally created for humanity change your perspective on God’s justice?
2. In Luke 16, the rich man’s first concern in Hell was his family. How should this motivate our evangelism today?
3. What does "dying in your sins" (John 8:24) mean in light of Christ's sacrifice?