Philologos
Bible Prophecy Research
Title: Hell
Submitted by: research-bpr@philologos.org
Date: May, 1998
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr/files/h003.htm
Hell
Looking down from Jerusalem on the south you can see the Hinnom Valley, the Gehenna of the New Testament (please see Sheol/Hell/Gehenna), where the gates of hell are said to be. This valley connects with the Kidron to form the "Valley of Fire" which comprises the lower compartments of hell (please see Azazel/Bottomless Pit) which in turn ends up in the Dead Sea (please see Lake of Fire). This seems to be a geographical representation of the netherworld.
Your Next Door Neighbor's in Hell
Let me give you a brief outline of this message here: No person would purchase a piece of property on which to build a home without first investigating the neighborhood. A thinking husband, planning a family, would not purchase a piece of property on the street of forgotten men, in a settlement of bootleggers, nor in a section of the city where gangsters and dopers live. A thinking husband and father-to-be would purchase a piece of ground on which to build a home in a respectable neighborhood of decent, honest, upright ladies and gentlemen, always checking as to whether or not there is a good school and a good church. But if you are so unfortunate as to die in sin and drop into hell, you next door neighbor will be the following:
1. THE FEARFUL. The Greek word suggests "cowardly" . . . those who are afraid to confess Christ, afraid to identify themselves with Jesus, the Gospel, and Christian people; afraid of what others might say if they became a Christian. Have you ever been around anyone who is afraid of everything? To be around such a person takes all the joy out of life.
2. UNBELIEVERS. The most numerous on earth today are the millions of unbelievers, and they will all open their eyes in hell.
3. THE ABOMINABLE. This denotes the filthy, despicable dopers, sex maniacs, alcoholics from the gutter on the street of forgotten men . . . in other words -- every degenerate sinner who has died, or will die and drop into hell, will be your next door neighbor.
4. MURDERERS. How would you like to live in an apartment house filled with murderers? How would you like to live in a community where twenty-five murderers have their homes? If you go to hell you will live there with millions of murderers, including Judas, Hitler, Stalin and the gangsters whom you know have lived and been executed in America.
5. FORNICATORS. This points to the persons who practice illicit love before marriage -- girls and young women who sell their bodies to ungodly, lustful men. Some of you precious girls and ladies who read these words would scream and run for your life if you thought you were in the same room alone with a sex fiend; and yet -- good, moral, clean, virtuous girls and ladies who are not saved will read these lines, and regardless of how clean they are, if they die without Jesus they will open their eyes in hell and live next door to every fornicator who has ever died or will die!
6. SORCERERS are named among those who will occupy hell. A sorcerer is one who professes to discourse with spirits of the other world. Under the Law, a sorcerer was put to death (Deut. 18:10-12). God has appointed the lake of fire as the final destiny for all who practice witchcraft, spiritualism, devil-worship or any kind of sorcery.
7. ALL IDOLATERS will be in hell. The teeming millions who worship idols, other gods -- the HEATHEN, past and present; great men who make gods of their business, their home, their wife, their lady friends or whatsoever . . . all idolaters will be in hell. Would you like to purchase a piece of property right in the midst of the jungle and build a home amid head-hunters and monkey-worshippers? Think it over! If you go to hell you will live right in the middle of them forever!
8. LIARS. I think a liar is one of the most detestable people on earth. You can watch a thief, you can put locks on your doors and put your valuables in a strongbox -- but what can you do about a liar? A liar can destroy the reputation of a young girl, a young man, a minister, an evangelist, and can cause more heartache and heartbreak in sixty seconds than a lifetime can erase. There will be no liars in Heaven; every liar who has ever lived and died will open his eyes in hell.
In closing the discussion here, let me add three other neighbors to the list: "And the devil that deceived them was cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false prophet are, and will be tormented day and night forever" (Rev. 20:10). Not only will you live next door to the fearful, the unbelievers, abominable ones, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters and liars, but you will also live next door to the devil himself, to the Beast and the false prophet -- the Satanic trinity! And if you go to hell when you die, after the devil is put into the lake of fire he will point his finger in your face and say to you, "Did you not know you did not have to come to this place of torment? Did you not know Jesus died for you? Did you not know that all you had to do to stay out of hell was to believe on Jesus and receive Him? Then he will laugh in your face and say, "You poor fool! You could be in glory with Jesus now!" The greatest torment in the lake of fire will be the continual reminder that God did not create hell for you (Matt. 25:45), nor was it God's will that you spend eternity in hell (II Pet. 3:9). You will curse the day you were born, while you scream, beg, roast, fry, sizzle, gnash your teeth and beg for a drop of water to cool your parching tongue. God help you, friend, if you are not born again, to come to Jesus now and let Him save your soul. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). (Also read John 1:12,13; John 5:24; Eph. 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Rom 10:9,10).
(The Revelation Verse by Verse Study, Dr. Oliver B. Greene)
See also Free Grace Broadcaster: Death is Coming, Flee from the Wrath of God