Does Hell really exist?

Some people say that there is no Hell. Some people say that Hell and the Lake of Fire are the same place. Some people say that there is no such thing as eternal torment. What if those people are wrong?

Let’s take a look at what the Holy Bible says.

What is “Hell” (Hades)?

⁴…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment… (2 Peter 2: 4)

⁶And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 1: 6)

The Holy Bible describes Hell (aka Hades) as a temporary place where the wicked angels are kept until the time of final judgment. Notice that Satan and his sinful angels are not in charge of hell.

The angels have seen God face-to-face and they were given free will. Some of them chose to turn away from God. Since God is the source of Good and they turned away from God, they turned toward the opposite of Good: Evil.

Angels have seen the full glory of God, yet some chose to rebel against Him. Therefore, they were not given an opportunity to be redeemed. Humans have never seen God in all His glory. We must make our choice by faith. Therefore God, in His great mercy, has given humans an opportunity for redemption through His Son: Jesus Christ.

What is the Lake of Fire?

¹³And 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. ¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20: 13-15)

The Lake of Fire is the “second death.” It is not the same thing as Hell (Hades). Revelation 20: 14 states that death and Hell (Hades) will be thrown into the lake of fire. Whereas death and Hell (Hades) is a temporary place, the Lake of Fire is a place that the guilty are sent after God’s final judgment.

The dead will be judged according to their works. Unfortunately, no human is without sin. Therefore, their works can never be good enough to get them into heaven. If their name is not found written in the book of life, they will be cast into the lake of fire. We need a Savior.

The Judgment of the Beast & False Prophet

²⁰But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Revelation 19: 20)

The Beast/Antichrist and the False Prophet are captured at the battle of Armageddon. They will not be killed before being cast into the eternal fire – they are “alive” when they are thrown into the lake of fire. Their abominations were extreme, therefore their punishment will be worse than others who will be cast into the fiery lake.

The Judgment of Satan

¹⁰And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20: 10)

The devil (Satan) will be cast into the lake of fire. He will join the Beast and the False Prophet. Because their sins against God are so extreme, all three will be alive when they are cast into the fiery lake for eternal torment. It appears that their torment will be worse than the torment of those who died before being cast into the lake of fire.

“They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” This clearly describes eternal torment.

Note that Satan will not be in charge of the eternal torment. After passing judgment, God would not reward Satan by allowing him to be in charge of anything – even the eternal torment of lost souls. Satan will be stripped of his power and authority. Satan will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Judgment of Those who took the Mark of the Beast

⁹A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, ¹⁰they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14: 9-11)

People who take the mark of the beast or worship the beast and its image will be tormented in the lake of fire. By serving the beast, they serve the evil one who gave the beast its power (Satan). As a result, they will share a similar fate.

“They will be tormented… the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever… there will be no rest day or night…” This clearly says that they will be tormented for ever and ever (i.e. eternal torment).

The Judgment of the Armies at Armageddon

²¹The rest [the armies at Armageddon] were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Revelation 19: 21)

¹⁸Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ²⁰They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia [about 180 miles]. (Revelation 14: 18-20)

³Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. ⁴On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. ⁵You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. (Ezekiel 39: 3-5)

¹²“‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. (Ezekiel 39: 12)

The armies / hordes that follow the Antichrist into the battle of Armageddon will be killed by Jesus Christ when He arrives to save the remnant of Israel. There will be massive numbers of people killed. The birds will gorge themselves on their flesh. For 7 months, the Israelites will be burying the bodies of the Antichrist’s armies.

The Judgment of the Nations who follow Satan

⁷When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. (Revelation 20: 7-9)

After the battle of Armageddon, Satan will be bound for a thousand years. Then Satan will be released and he will make one last attempt to defeat God. Satan will deceive the nations and again gather them for battle. The armies following Satan will be in number like the sand on the seashore. When they surround Jerusalem, God will destroy the armies with fire from heaven. After they are killed, they will be among the dead who will be judged by God at the time of final judgment.

Consider how this scenario is different from Armageddon. When the armies at Armageddon are destroyed, there is carnage that involves: massive amounts of blood, animals feasting on flesh, and burying the dead for 7 months. But the battle that takes place after the Thousand years is different: fire comes down from heaven and “devours” the armies (there is no blood and no bodies left to bury). These scriptures are talking about two different armies / events.

Everlasting Punishment

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left… ⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25: 31-33, 41) (ESV)

⁴⁶And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25: 46) (KJV)

The Holy Bible says that there is actually a place of “eternal fire” what was prepared for Satan and his angels. It also says that some people will be sent to that place for “everlasting punishment.”

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. (Revelation 20: 11-12)

¹³The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20: 13-15)

⁸But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21: 8) (NIV)

At the Great White Throne, the dead will stand before God and be judged according to what they have done. This final judgment decrees what punishment each will receive. Death and Hades (Hell) will be thrown into the lake of fire. Anyone whose name was not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. This is the “second death.”

What is the First Resurrection?

⁴And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20: 4-5) (KJV)

⁶Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20: 6) (KJV)

When Jesus Christ comes to gather his followers (prior to Armageddon), it is referred to as the first resurrection (aka Rapture). Those who participated in the “first resurrection” will reign with Christ for a thousand years, they will be exempt from the great white throne judgment, and they will be exempt from the “second death.”

The New Jerusalem

¹⁰And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, ¹¹having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (Revelation 21: 10-11) (ESV)

²²And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. ²³And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, ²⁵and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. ²⁶They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. Revelation 21: 22-26) (ESV)

²⁷But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21: 27) (ESV)

¹⁴Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22: 14-15) (ESV)

Notice that in describing the new Jerusalem (heaven), the Holy Bible says that nothing unclean and no one who does what is detestable or false will enter the city.

It also says that the evildoers are “outside” – as if they still exist and are still being punished. Even though they have gone through the “second death” and have been cast into the lake of fire, it appears that they still exist in some way: they have not been burned up into nothingness.

Who will be Cast into the Lake of Fire?

The Antichrist / Beast & the False Prophet (alive) (Revelation 19: 20)
The Armies at Armageddon (dead) (Revelation 19: 21)
The Devil (alive) (Revelation 20: 10)
Death & Hades / Hell (Revelation 14: 9-11)
Those with the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 14: 9-11)
Anyone whose name is not in the Book of Life (dead) (Revelation 20: 15)

Who Now has the Keys to Death & Hell (Hades)?

⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵²and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.(Matthew 27: 51-53) (NIV)

¹⁸And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28: 18-20)

¹⁷And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Revelation 1: 17-18)

Everything changed when Jesus was crucified. The law was fulfilled and the sin debt was paid. The Temple curtain was torn from top to bottom: God removed the barrier between Himself and His people because Jesus Christ became the ultimate Melchizedek priest and the only intercessor we need.

Everything changed when Jesus was resurrected. Jesus Christ overcame death. Satan’s authority and power were broken. All authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus Christ. Jesus was given the keys to Hell (Hades) and Death. The holy people who had died (before Jesus) were resurrected with Jesus. The rest of the dead remained where they were until final judgment.

Jesus Christ is the only person who never sinned. Therefore, the only way into heaven is through Jesus Christ. Because Jesus sacrificed himself to pay our sin debt, we can be saved from our sins – but only if we accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Day of the Lord

⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (1 Peter 3: 9-10) (ESV)