Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 3/5/2008

Question
Hello,
My name is Caroline and I have a question about what the bible says about Hell. Correct please if I'm wrong but isn't it that if you are condemned to hell then you stay in there for eternity, but doesn't it also say that when Jesus comes back to Earth and brings gods people, that God will destroy Hell? How can a person spend forever in a place that will be destroyed? I go to church and am 15 years old, I love god and I'm not questioning his word, I'm just confused. Thank you so much

Answer
Dear Caroline,

Thank you for your question about hell. Hell is a hot topic in some churches. But it’s most important that we understand this from the Bible, because a misunderstanding can impact your Christian experience in a negative way—even forcing you to turn your back on God entirely (as some have in the past).

Many people wonder: “What kind of fire will there be in Hell?”

I suppose it all depends on what you mean by the word "hell." The word "hell" as used in the Bible means "the grave," the place where people are buried. So in that case there is no fire—unless, of course the dead are cremated. But even here, the fire takes place before the person is buried.

Occasionally you will find references to hell as a place of burning, or a place of punishment.

In order to understand “hell” we have to understand what the Bible teaches about death. There are countless texts that deal with the subject of death, but this one sums them all up pretty well.
Eccl 9:5, 6 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
If a dead person knows nothing, the presence of fire would have no affect upon him because he would be unaware that he is in the fire. The state of unawareness lasts until Jesus comes the second time. Then He will raise to life again all those who have accepted Him as their Savior. Those who have refused to accept Him will not live until after the 1000 years of the devil’s solitary confinement (Rev. 20.1-3).

The concept of death being a sleep is found throughout the Bible. For example:

John 11:11  After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
  John 11:12  His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better."
John 11:13  Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
  John 11:14  So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
Other examples can be found in the following texts. Look them up and see how they compare with the two we have already seen. (Cf. 2 Sam. 7:12; 1 Kings 1:21; Job 7:21; Ps. 13:3; John 11:11-14; Acts 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess 4:14, 15; 1 Thess. 5: 10)

After the wicked come to life in the second resurrection, they will face the judgment which will show them why they are not saved.

Rev 20:7  When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison
Rev 20:8  and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth  Gog and Magog  to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
Rev 20:9  They 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.
Rev 20:10  And 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.
Rev 20:11  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And 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.
Rev 20:13  The 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 he had done.
Rev 20:14  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
Rev 20:15  If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

You’ll notice that it is only after the judgment that the wicked will be cast in the fire—which is called, the second death. The lake of fire is not called "hell." The fire comes down from God out of heaven and burns up the wicked. Remember that in death, people don’t know anything. So if this is the second death, then the people who are burned up, don’t know anything either. And will never come to life again. So the real punishment for sin is death:

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Yes, the death that is the wages of sin will be caused by fire, but it is not an eternal burning furnace in which the wicked writhe in the flames: It is the “second death.” Death is a sleep; so the wicked go the sleep when they die. The real punishment is their eternal separation from God.

So there is no "hell" burning now. It will not burn until a 1000 years after Jesus comes the second time. And it will not burn forever: it will burn only as long as there is something to burn—and then it will go out.

Rev. 21 pictures God re-creating the earth into a paradise again; and it shows that God will live with us here on the earth made new. If you miss out on that, you’ve missed everything. So that’s the real punishment—the wicked die realizing that they have missed out on the eternal life of the saints. For the saints will have the infinite opportunity to enjoy the presence of God and get to know first hand what He has really done for us.

You can find out more about the Second Coming of Christ, the 1000 years, and Hell in my book WHEN THE DEVIL GOES TO JAIL, on my website www.PettyPress.com. You’ll also find 17 other books I’ve written as well, and 40 Bible study guides and much more.

Feel free to write me any time you have a Bible question.

Always be ready for Jesus to come,
Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Thurman@PettyPress.com