[Biblemat] Hell (question/answer)

[Don Martin]

Hello Susie,

Thank you so much for your question and for making use of Bible Questions.
Please do so again. http://www.biblequestions.org  Please check out Bible
Truths http://www.bibletruths.net  Go to the archives section of these sites
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greatly appreciated.

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You asked:

Does the Bible really teach hell?

Reply:

There are many extant false beliefs relative to "hell."  Some believe that
God is too loving to assign the wicked to "everlasting punishment" in a
place call "hell," yet, such is precisely taught in the scriptures (Matt.
25: 46, Mark 9: 42f.).   I recommend you read, "Hell" located in
www.bibletruths.net   When on the home page, click on the "Great Truths"
button and scroll down to the title, click on the "click here."  Here is an
excerpt from the article:

     "...Hell is a real place. Geenna (Greek word for hell) is found twelve
times in the vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. In the just mentioned
reading (Mk. 9: 43 ff), Jesus proceeded to say, ".where their worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched." Jesus is referring to a valley on the
south side of Jerusalem known as the Valley of Hinnom. This valley had a
reprehensible history (2 Kg. 16, 2 Chroni. 28), mostly pertaining to the
worship of Moloch. The valley was especially held in contempt after the
return of the Jews from captivity in that it became the garbage dump for the
city. Into this valley all the filth of the city including the human
carcasses of criminals was thrown. The odor and presence of perpetual fires
were repulsive, I am told. Jesus "borrowed" from the physical reality and
properties of the Valley of Hinnom to teach regarding the spiritual place of
the souls of the wicked.

     Hell is a place of eternal punishment. Modern man has an antipathy for
punishment. However, hell shall be a place of punishment. Not just
punishment, but "everlasting punishment," "and these shall go away into
everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal, " Jesus said
(Matt. 25: 46). The punishment of the wicked is just as long as the bliss of
the saved - "everlasting" is from aionios and is applied to both the
punishment of the wicked and the life ("eternal") of the righteous. John
wrote, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Rev.
14: 11). Jesus said, "Thee shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt.
25: 30). Jesus said it would be better to be maimed or have a millstone
hanged about one's neck and cast into the sea than to experience hell (Mk.
9: 42-50)....."

Thanks again for your good question and for your interest in spiritual
matters. I recommend that you print out this email for future reference (web
addresses, etc.). You may print out any material you desire in both Bible
Questions and Bible Truths (see the copyright provision at the bottom of the
home page in Bible Truths).

Cordially,
Don Martin