“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
– Revelation 20:10
As we continue our devotion series on “Heaven and Hell,” specifically considering answers to the question, “What is Hell?”, today we will look at some of the myths and false doctrines about Hell. It’s true that Hell is often trivialized. Its horror and terror is minimized, as well as sought to be ignored. Those in society, along with many in the church today, don’t want to accept, or deal with Christ’s teachings about Hell. The doctrine is often treated lightly or even in a humorous way. Why is this true? In part, many tend to joke about things that frighten them the most in order to diminish the fear factor and reduce the threatening power. Yet, remember that almost all the biblical teaching about Hell comes from Christ Himself, and should therefore be taken and studied seriously.
How do we find Hell treated in the Bible? We consistently find the doctrine to be terror-provoking, our focus text in Rev. 20 above being a good example that puts forth the fiery, continuous, eternal torment that the Devil will be cast into. Hell is the eternal fire prepared for the Satan and his fallen angels (Matt. 25:41). It’s the fiery furnace unredeemed law-breakers will be thrown in (Matt. 13:41-42). It is the place of excruciating misery where the worm does not die (Mark 9.47-48). It’s on the foundation of the truth of these passages, along with all others regarding Hell in the Scriptures, that myths and false teachings become all the more clear to see and easy to refute. What are some of those?
- The Depiction of the Devil in Hell – There have been countless cartoons, comics, writings, TV shows, drawings, and movies that personify Satan as a man in a red suit with pointy ears, a pointy tail, and a pitchfork. Others depict him with much of the same qualities, but as a beast with gnarly horns. Much of that same media promotes the image that Satan walks around as the lord over Hell, welcoming people into Hell when they die, being their laughing, tormenting overlord in the fires there. Yet, the truth of Scripture is quite different. First, Satan is a created, fallen angel who took on a serpentine form (Gen. 3:1) to accomplish his evil purpose. The Apostle Paul taught the saints in Corinth that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), in order to better promote his kingdom of darkness. However, there is no biblical reference that he ever took on the appearance of a man. Second, the living, triune God is the creator of Hell.
Jesus has sovereign control over that domain (Rev. 1:18). He will judge the Devil and the wicked (both angels and men) on the last day, and cast them all into it to be tormented eternally. Therefore, Satan won’t be the overlord there. Neither will he be walking around happy and laughing. He will be the tormented, not the tormentor. He will be in agony under the eternal, unmitigated wrath of God. Thinking about this, some may wonder- “How will spirit beings, like Satan and the other fallen angels, experience torment in Hell?” That’s a good question. God doesn’t reveal details to answer that, other than saying Hell is the place of eternal fire that He has prepared for them [emphasis added] (Matt. 25:41). Understanding this, we can rest assured knowing that it will perfectly accomplish the punishment God will unleash. - God isn’t present in Hell – Some believe Hell is a symbol of separation from God. In fact, it can be rightly said that wicked men and women want nothing more than to be separated from God. But, Hell isn’t Satan’s kingdom that he walks around in and God is absent. The eternal torments of Hell are described by Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) 33.2 as a place of punishment “with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” Hell isn’t a place of separation from God’s presence. God is omnipresent. Hell will be full of His wrathful presence (Rom. 2:8). It will be God’s presence that torments them. They will know Him as the all-consuming fire! (Heb. 12:29)
- Annihilationalism – This is a false doctrine that teaches that the wicked are destroyed at the Last Judgment. They have no need to be concerned and worry about conscious, eternal punishment in the afterlife. Clearly, the teaching of Scripture is the opposite. When God brings history to a close, His people will rejoice with Him in endless bliss on the new earth. But the wicked will endure never-ending, conscious torment and be shut out of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the joyous dwelling place of God and His people forever.
- Universalism – This false teaching claims that everyone is saved, regardless of whether or not they have put their trust in Christ. In the book, Hell Under Fire, J.I. Packer, in his piece entitled, “Universalism: Will Everyone Ultimately Be Saved?” defines a universalist as, “…someone who believes that every human being whom God has created or will create will finally come to enjoy the everlasting salvation into which Christians enter here and now.” (Packer, 170) It’s true that throughout the history of the church, all branches have considered this teaching as heresy. For example, in 553 A.D. at the Second Council of Constantinople, the church denounced the belief that all beings, even Satan himself, would eventually be saved as heresy. In 1647, John Owen wrote an excellent book called The Death of Death in the Death of Christ to refute this teaching of universal redemption. What do the Scriptures say? Again, standing on a biblical foundation makes this teaching easy to refute, doesn’t it? Jesus will return and bring the final judgment. He will separate people as a shepherd separates sheep (the elect) from goats (the non-elect). Jesus will command those who rejected Him to depart from Him, casting them into the eternal fire. (Matt. 25)
As you walk in this world, continue to feed on the Word, growing in the knowledge of the truth, so that you will be able to recognize and respond to a variety of myths for what they truly are. The same is true as you walk and fellowship in the church. Spend good time in mining the riches of eschatology, the state of men after death and the resurrection, the last judgment, as well as the final state so that you can withstand false teachings and correct those who contradict with Scripture. The Westminster Standards and a solid systematic theology will be of good help to you (e.g. Louis Berkhof or A.A. Hodge) Such study will be of great blessing to you, your family, and the church. It will bless you as you grow in sanctification, and your defense of the faith.
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Work Cited
J. I. Packer, “Universalism: Will Everyone Ultimately Be Saved?” in Hell Under Fire, ed. Morgan and Peterson (Zondervan, 2004), p. 170.