Forever Fellowship

Biblical themes of Hell:

(unless noted, the scripture on this page came out of the NASB)

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."Revelation 21:8

I believe that some "good" people will find themselves in an eternity without God. I have this idea because either they simply are walking around ignorant or blind. They do not know of God's truth or they do not believe His Word to be true. Many that believe in heaven and hell, do not believe in God's Word or God's Word reincarnated as Jesus Christ. Some believe since God loves his creation he would never send us to or allow a place like hell. As read in Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. If God created the heavens and the earth, would he not be responsible for providing a way to enter into either heaven or hell? (Remember, God does not send us to these places of eternity, we make the choice.) Assuming that you already know God is in heaven above the earth, hell would then be the opposite and would be in the depths of the earth. Here's what we know about both places of eternity: 

Where is Hell?

Before we ask where hell is, we need to  first understand the basis of hell. Before human life was even created there were many angels over whom God ruled. He placed one angel, Lucifer in charge of the earth. John 12;31, 14:30,16:11 refer to him as the "ruler of the earth". However, Lucifer got prideful and wanted to rule over God, so God cast him out of heaven. "How you have fallen from heaven, o star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recess of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol (hell) to the recesses of the pit."  Isaiah 14:12-15. (Lucifer was later called Satan). .... "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightening." Luke 10:18 In Genesis 3 Satan begins his work against God. He starts by deceiving Eve. This is the door that opened all sin into this world. Satan is allowed to try and deceive people. Try: because it is up to each individual whether or not they believe it. So where do the ones who are deceived into turning away from God go? There is a place for the righteous to go, and indeed there is a place for the unrighteous, which is hell. 

So how do we know where hell is? Lets consider the scripture.... (there are a number of verses describing hell, therefore; the whole verse is not always included, this is shown by ....)

and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up.... So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. Numbers 16:32-33

But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go to the depths of the earth. Psalm 63:9

then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit.... and I will make you dwell in the in the lower parts of the earth.... Ezekiel 26:20

.... For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit. Ezekiel 32:14

We come to the conclusion that hell is: down, a pit, and in the depths of the earth. Also, known about the core of the earth is that it is very hot.

Descriptions of Hell:

....example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 7

He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Revelation 9:2

Before I go--and I shall not return-- To the land of darkness and deep shadow, The land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness. Job 10:21-22

They will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished. Isaiah 24:22

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. Revelation 20:1

.... You who lift me up from the gates of death Psalm 9:13

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. 2 Thessalonians 1:9

Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men. All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us. Isaiah 59:9-11

When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. Ezekiel 7:25

"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Revelation 14:11

As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Zechariah 9:11

The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Psalm 116:3

.... For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. Psalms 74:20

We can assume by these parts of scripture that hell is going to be the complete opposite as heaven and will be worse than any of us can even imagine. We only get a glimpse of what it will be like through these verses. We can see that hell will be like a burning pool of fire only there is no water to quench the flame.  There will also be limitless darkness, with no light of day to look forward to. There will be chaos and corrupted authority because there will be no order. It will be like a prison. Separate chambers for all, with locked gates. There will be solitary confinement mixed with brutal punishments. Hell will resemble a grave or place of death. There will be no happiness, only tears and constant screams of agony as people attempt to escape (even mentally) the tortures they will endure. There will be no justice for the mistreatment. God will be far from those in hell, and there will be no chance for salvation. Hell will bring shame and humiliation on everyone there. Hell is not the place of peace. Violence will be a constant. There will be no hope of any kind from interaction between others in hell.  Because in hell, there is no help and there is no hope.

Do we have a body in Hell?

If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:29

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

By these two scriptures we can see that people do have bodies in hell.  Also in Isaiah 59, there is mention that the people are groping about the walls and walking in gloom. They would have to have a body to interact with the wall and to walk. 

Don't deceive yourself, you do have the choice. Just because you made some mistakes doesn't condemn you forever for an eternity in hell. Accept Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. Accept Him as your Lord and Savior and accept His forgiveness for your sins. He died to protect you, take His hand and let Him lift you up to the light. Repent of your past behavior and build a relationship with Him and the Father. If you do this, you will surely not be alone. God has sent his Holy Spirit to do great works in His children if you let Him. Are you willing to let God's Spirit guide you? It's a lot easier to go through life with God on your side than have Him release His judgment upon your soul. 

Satan is a liar! 

He wants us to believe that there is no greater place of torment. He wants us to think that here on earth is hell. This is not true, there is indeed a  place of absolute horror, where Satan reigns and he does not have compassion. He is a stealer of joy and a bringer of hopelessness.He tries to tell us that what we are going through on earth, God could take us out of in a heartbeat but doesn't because he doesn't love us. That is absolutely false. We already know God created all, and created all good, and He loves His children. This is why He has promised us there is a better place - Heaven and all it's glory. We are being put through tests for a reason, and it is not because God doesn't love us. It is to teach us how to inherit the Eternal Kingdom. Just remember Jesus died for all of us, while we are still sinners! Satan would never die for any of us, because he doesn't care about us. His only motive for deceiving us is to get back at God. He is selfish. Do not let him make you think otherwise. There is no way to salvation except Jesus Christ. Listen to the call of the Holy Spirit and not the whisper of Satan.

There has to be an area of vulnerability in our lives for the demons to deceive us. They can only torment us as much as we allow them to. God still rules over Satan and all his fallen angels, and He has given us a way to defeat them. When we are washed clean with the blood of Jesus and make a statement of our faith in baptism of His name we are given the Holy Spirit for guidance, truth and strength. Then we are not alone in the battle against the demons deceit.

What Happens When We Repent and When We Do Not?

then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment 2 Peter 2:9

Biblical themes of Heaven:

(Because of the abundance of scripture pertaining to heaven; and information in answer to questions, few verses will be used for each topic. Consult your Bible for more scripture.)

Where is Heaven?

...I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds... Isaiah 14:13-14

...God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:2 (for further correspondence of this scripture see: Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 148:4; Ephesians 4:10; Hebrews 4:14)

The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. Revelation 21:16

From these verses and by knowing where hell is we know Heaven as of now is above the earth. Above the stars and the clouds. When Jesus comes back however to prepare the Millennial Kingdom, it will be here on earth, or "heaven on earth". Revelation 21:16 is speaking of the New Jerusalem where the throne will be. This will be our time to rebuild the earth for God's reign. 

Descriptions of Heaven:

"How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Genesis 27:17

A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness The unclean will not travel on it ....  No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there  But the redeemed will walk there Isaiah 35:8-9

The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:18-21

... To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:7

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed Revelation 21:22-25

We can see that heaven will be the complete opposite of hell. To say it will be an awesome place would be an understatement. Down the center of heaven there shall be a road traveling through the golden city. It will always be light. For it is Jesus who brings us into the light - His light. There will be no unrighteousness there. Speaking as God the Father, and the Son as the temple, we know that we will be reigning in the presence of the Lord on a personal level.  Read Revelation chapters 21 and 22 for more description.

Do we have a body in Heaven?

This is a burning question for many. Lets explore the scripture for more evidence.

Remember in Luke 24:37-41 that Jesus appeared to His disciples as in the flesh. They were scared to see a spirit, however a spirit cannot be seen. Jesus was a "spiritual human" so-to-speak. He was fully spiritual, and could travel instantaneously, but He could also walk, and recall that He asks them for something to eat. If He was only spirit composed of no human qualities He would not need to eat.

Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God Job 19:26

The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:52-53

This would suggest that we will be a spiritually renewed body. We will be composed of Holy Spirit within Holy bodies. We get a glimpse of this when we receive Jesus and are baptized. Given to us is the Holy Spirit to help guide us toward our final transformation.  

What will we take with us to Heaven?

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

We will not take any possessions with us to our heavenly homes. All that will be taken is our bodies. This means our personalities will transfer over as well. Think about this: God created humans, and all of us are different. We all have different personalities that enhance our character, different qualities so that we must rely on each other and different ministries based on our experiences. What kind of place would heaven be if we worked so hard to get there just to start over on a clean slate? God didn't design us to be robots, or He would have made robots. The fact is He designed us different to love each other and need each other because of our differences. Remember life is a practice round until we get to our real "life". While we are on earth we work on perfecting and readying ourselves for the final day when we enter the world of perfect. How important is this concept? Well the evidence lies within the Holy Trinity: God created people. Jesus died for people, and the Holy Spirit lives in people. People are the most important thing that will come out of this life on earth and that is why it is the only thing we will take with us into the next. 

Where will we reside in Heaven?

We will have our places in heaven, our homes. I believe also that heaven will be the place where we will be able to find that special place that lets our spirit free.

How do we enter Heaven?

(Referring to what state of mind)

"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." Mark 10:15

The scripture is not speaking of being like children in their age, but rather in their mind frame. Have you noticed how children are great story tellers? They also believe what ever their parents or others tell them. Take Santa Clause for instance. As a child you may have believed that there really was a jolly old man who ate too many cookies but still managed to fit down the chimney, with a magical bag of toys that never seemed to empty even after visiting every house in the world. Now that you are old you know this is not true. But it is a prime example of how kids don't need evidence, they just believe with all their hearts. (good time to mention - this belief can be put in to Jesus at an early age, instead of a magical man that flies around with reindeer.) We therefore, should be like children when thinking about heaven. We shouldn't need this evidence that the place really exists but just know and accept it.

Will we eat in Heaven?

He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.... When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas, ..... So they ate and were well filled.... Psalm 148:24-29

They asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. Psalm 105:40

in the middle of its street On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

Also notice how several times in the Bible the phrase "the land flowing with milk and honey"

When Jesus appeared to His disciples He asked them for something to eat. He had already been to heaven and back and still ate food. As in spiritual form within bodily form, food still exists.

Other questions about Heaven:

What about work?

We shall be given new work to do. There will be plenty of work to be done building up the Millennial Kingdom. This is where our personalities come into play. We will each minister in our area of expertise to the building. We will enjoy work because the curse placed on humans from Adams sin in Genesis 3 will finally be lifted. It will no longer be labor, but great works. If we didn't succeed in this life at doing what we desire, I believe we will in heaven.  

What about the children?

All children are innocent until the point they become aware of right and wrong and for this reason, the innocent will be in heaven. I believe the babies who were aborted will also join us there and may be without their mothers who didn't repent of their sins. Some woman were baron on earth or simply didn't have children, and they will probably raise these babies. Also, if you lost a child, you can be sure that they will be in heaven waiting for you. You will get to hear their sweet laughter. 

Raise your kids in the love of Jesus because if they knew Him at one point in their life, and gone astray, they will find Him again.

What language will we speak?

We will speak the language of love. We will be humble in every way and towards every person. Plus we shall have the capacity to learn every language to communicate. Right now we only use about 10% of our brains, in heaven we shall be given far more capacity for use. In Genesis 11 the tower of Babel was being built. God saw that they were not building this tower for the worship of Him, but instead to make a name for themselves, so He scattered them to many locations and confused them with different languages. It was God who separated the languages, therefore He will provide a way to connect them. It is written in Revelation 14:6 that the gospel will be preached to those that live on the earth to every nation and in ever language. Because of this, we will be able to understand each other. Plus, have you ever heard the phrase "talking in tongues"? This secret language of the Lord will have meaning in Heaven as well as here on earth.

Will there be any animals?

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, Come, assemble for the great supper of God Revelation 19:17

What about those left behind?

Revelation 21:4 mentions there will be no sadness for the former things have passed away. Therefore we will not think about those that didn't make it because it would cause us to be sad. It will be in a sense wiped from our minds. We will be so awestruck by heavens glory and those that did accept Jesus and will be with us forever. (this is why it's important to help others along the way to accept Jesus NOW, before it's too late - pray for those you can't change.) The Bible also mentions that during the rapture two men will be in the field and only one will be taken...It will happen so quickly that the faithful will be gone. Be ready for it! How great will it be when we walk into the gates of heaven and hear a glorious "welcome" from our Savior, and finally get to talk to him face to face and embrace Him, and thank Him personally.

What about marriage? 

You may have heard the term "bridegroom" as referred to Jesus. The end time church of those that have accepted Him as Lord and Savior are His bride. This is the only marriage that will take place during our reign in heaven. This doesn't go to say that if you are already married here on earth that you will be separated in heaven. In fact your love shall grow and mature and be enhanced along with everything else. For in Matthew 19:6 it is written that what God joined together let no man separate.Therefore we should have no reason to believe we will not continue our relationships. In addition to this, we will love everyone. We will be a great family. Also, if you were not married on earth, there will still be meaningful relationships in heaven. We will have companionship. We will be with Jesus forever. Your family will still be intact as long as all have accepted Jesus and know Him. There will be no reproduction in heaven however. There will be no need because that part of God's plan will be completed. God values our relationships with one another, so then why would He want to bring us to heaven just to tear them relationships apart? He wouldn't because love is the highest law.