The Reality Of Hell

Hell is a real place of punishment and prison that was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41). But it is also the place where the unsaved or those who died rejecting Christ as their Lord and Saviour (Rev 14:10). The Bible plainly states that condemned sinners “shall be punished with everlasting destruction” (2 Thes 1:9)! Our Lord Jesus said that it would have been better if Judas had never been born (Mt 26:24). Because of the misery of the eternal torments in hell would certainly come upon him due to his betrayal of Jesus (Lk 22:48).

The punishment will be an everlasting torment into the place “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mk 9:44). Those who deny this important truth about hell misuse our passage to prove their false beliefs, that God would merely destroy or annihilate “both soul and body in hell.” However, Jesus was not saying that the soul and body of the unsaved will be annihilated in hell, for that would contradict other passages, when we compare scripture with scriptures (1 Cor 2:13). Furthermore, the Greek word used for “destroy” (apollumi), in this verse is also the same word that is frequently translated as “lose” (Lk 15:4), or “marred” (Mk 2:22).

It does not refer to a soul just being burned and vaporized in hell, but they would be subjected to severe “torments” (Lk 16:23)! A parallel passage is found in Heb 2:14, where Jesus said that He came to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” We know that the devil shall be cast into the lake of fire where he “shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev 20:10). Lost souls can avoid this place of “everlasting punishment” (Mt 25:46), if they would trust Jesus as their only Saviour by faith (Eph 2:8) – He promises “eternal life” (Jn 3:15)! God bless you!

- Pastor Melito Barrera