The Final Hell (Gehenna)

I. At The Present Time, The "Gehenna" or "Lake of Fire", Is Unoccupied.

A. The very first one who will be cast into the Lake of Fire will be the "Beast" and "False Prophet".

Revelation 19:20, "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

B. Satan and His Angels will be cast into the Lake of Fire a thousand years later.

Revelation 20:10, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

C. After the "Great White Throne Judgment", all whose names are not found in the "Lamb's Book of LIfe" will be Cast Into The Lake of Fire.

Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

II. What Was The Teaching of Christ Jesus On The Subject of The Final Hell, "Gehenna".

A. Matthew 5:29, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell."

B. Matthew 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

C. Matthew 23:33, "[Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

(Mark 9:43-48; Luke 12:5)

D. These passages which use the Greek word "Gehenna" for the Final hell are thus clearly distinguished from the passages which use the Greek word "Hades" for the Present hell.

III. The Bible Describes This Final Hell As A Place of Literal Fire.

A. Matthew 13:41-42, "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." - (Matt. 3:12; 5:22).

B. Matthew 25:41, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" - V. 46, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." - (Mark 9:43-48).

C. Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." - 21:8, "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."

IV. Other Language Is Also Used To Describe The Terribleness of Hell.

A. Matthew 8:12, "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

B. Matthew 13:42, "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." - V. 50, "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

C. Matthew 22:13, "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

D. Luke 13:28, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out. "

V. "Destroy", "Destruction", "Perish", "Consume" Do Not Mean "Annihilation".

A. The Words "Destroy" Or "Destruction" Never Means "Annihilation".

1. Psalms 78:45, "He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed (annihilated) them."

Did the frogs put the Egyptians out of existence.

2. Job 19:10, "He hath destroyed me on every side,"

How could he be put out of existence on every side --- and Live To Tell About It.

3. Job 21:17, "How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and [how oft] cometh their destruction upon them! [God] distributeth sorrows in his anger."

How could they Often be put out of existence?

4. Isaiah 34:2, "For the indignation of the LORD [is] upon all nations, and [his] fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them,"

Have all nations been put out of existence?

5. Jeremiah 17:18, "Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy (annihilate) them with double destruction (annihilation)."

How could a person be doubly put out of existence.

6. Hebrews 2:14, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"

Has the devil been put out of existence?

7. The same word for "Destroy" is translated "Make Without Effect" in Rom. 3:3; and "Make Void" in Rom. 3:31.

In every case it means "To Render Powerless or Inoperative." --- No reference to ceasing to exist.

8. If the words "Destroy" and "Destruction" cannot be forced to mean "Annihilation" (Cessation of Existence) without making the Scriptures Into Nonsense --- neither can they be forced to mean "Annihilation" when applied to Everlasting Punishment of The Wicked.

II Thessalonians 1:9, "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"

9. They Say, no man can be put away from the presence of an Omnipresent God without being put out of existence.

a. Genesis 4:16, " And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden."

b. How could Cain be put out of existence and still live in the land of Nod and raise a family.

VI. The Word "Perish" Never Means Annihiulation.

A. The word "Perish" (Apollum) denotes "Ruin" or "Rendering Unfit For The Intended Use".

B. Matthew 9:17, "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

1. If the bottle (the wine skin) is broken, it is just rendered Unfit For Its Intended Use --- not Annihilated or reduced to Nothingness.

2. In Mark's account (Mark 2:22) the same word "Apollum" is translated "Marred" instead aof "Perish".

C. Luke 15:17," And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"

D. II Peter 3:6, "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:"

Was the earth annihilated or put out of existence --- from all indications, it is still here.

E. Hebrews 1:10-11, "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;"

This perishing is explained in V. 12, "... they shall be changed:"

F. Matthew 10:6, "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

The same word "Apollumi" is here translated "Lost".

VII. The Word "Consume" Does Not Mean Annihilation.

A. Psalms 6:7, "Mine eye is consumed (annihilated) because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies."

B. Psalms 31:10, "For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed (annihilated)."

C. Galatians 5:15, "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed (annihilate) one of another."

D. II Thessalonians 2:8, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume (annihilate) with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy (annihilate) with the brightness of his coming:"

How can the Anti-Christ be annihilated and then be cast into the Lake of Fire a thousand years later.

E. Zephaniah 1:2, "I will utterly consume (annihilate) all [things] from off the land, saith the LORD."

VIII. The Annihilation Theory Contradicts The Bible Teaching That There Are Degrees of Rewards And Punishment.

A. Romans 2:6, "Who will render to every man according to his deeds:"

B. Revelation 20:13, "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

C. Matthew 11:24, "But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." (Matt. 10:15; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12, 14).

IX. The Final Hell Is A Place of Eternal Duration --- Just As The Final Heaven Is A Place of Eternal Duration.

A. People are quite ready to accept Eternal Rewards for righteousness --- but back off in horrified amazement at the thought of Eternal Punishment for sin.

B. The Punishment of The Wicked will be just Exactly As Long as the Life of The Righteous.

a. Matthew 25:46, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

b. "Everlasting" and "Eternal" are from the same Greek word "Aionios".

X. They Say, The Word "Aionios" Only Means "Age-Long" or "For A Period" --- Not For Ever And Ever.

A. In the New Testament "aionios" is used 71 Times and all but 4 places it is translated "Eternal" or "Everlasting" --- meaning ENDLESS DURATION.

B. Romans 16:26, "But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting (aionios) God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:"

Is the Existence of God Only "Age-Long" --- not endless.

XI. The Expression "For Ever And Ever" (Eis Tous Aionas Ton Aionion) Positively Expresses "Endless Duration" - "Eternity".

A. The Anti-Christ: - Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

B. Satan: - Revelation 20:10, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

C. Christ: - Revelation 1:18, "I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

D. Existence of God: - Revelation 4:9, "And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne,"

Revelation 5:14, "And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four [and] twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."

Revelation 10:6, "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:"

Revelation 15:7, "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever."

E. The Righteous: - Revelation 22:5, "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

XII. The Same Words Are Used In Reference To The Punishment of The Wicked.

A. Matthew 25:46, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

B. II Thessalonians 1:8, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"

C. Daniel 12:2, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt."

D. Mark 3:29, "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:"

E. Matthew 25:41, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

F. Matthew 18:8, "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast [them] from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."

G. Jude 1:13, "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."

H. Psalms 52:5, "God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of [thy] dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah."

I. Psalms 92:7, "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; [it is] that they shall be destroyed for ever:"

J. Mark 9:43, "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

XIII. Annihiliationists Say that "Everlasting" Refers To The "Results or Consequences" of The Punishment And Not To The Punishment Itself.

A. They say that hell is eternal punishment in the sense that the wicked wsill be eternally annihilated, not eternally suffering.

B. This cannot possibly be true because:

1. Annihilation would be Ended punishment rather than Endless punishment.

2. The Bible states that it Is the "Punishment" itself, and Not the "Consequences" that is everlasting.

3. There is no such thing as Un-Conscious Punishment --- anything that is un-conscious Cannot Be Punishment.

XIV. Conclusion:

A. Those who at one time denounced Christianity, and the Bible and its teaching concerning the punishment of the wicked, when faced with death, expressed in their dying words their belief in hell.

1. Cardinal Mazarin: --- "Oh, my poor soul! What will become of thee? Whither wilt thou go?"

2. Tallerand: --- "I am suffering the pangs of the damned."

3. Charteres: --- "I would gladly give 30,000 pounds to have it proven that there is no hell."

4. Mirabeau: --- "Give me more laudanum that I may not think of eternity."

5. Voltaire: --- "I am abandoned by God and man! I shall go to hell! O Christ, O Jesus Christ."

6. Hobbs: --- "I am taking a fearful leap into the dark."

7. Tom Paine: --- "I would give worlds, if I had them, if the 'Age of Reason' had never been published. O Lord, help me! Christ, help me! Stay with me! It is hell to be left alone!"

B. These are statements that should set everyone to serious thinking!

A Search For The Truth About Salvation



If You Are Not "Saved", Nothing Else Matters!
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