What Is Your Final Destination?

We need to be clear on the fact that Hell, according to the Bible, is a terrible end, and that we must not only be sure to avoid it ourselves, but we must warn others of it also. If a person does not believe in judgment for unbelief and sin, they will underestimate the negative consequences of rejecting God and place themselves in dreadful infinite danger. In the consternating reality of Hell, divine justice will be served. We need to know the terrifying outcomes of disbelieving God as well as the wonderful magnitude of accepting Christ. It is my express desire that we receive God's forgiveness for our sins, and warn others to choose an eternity with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ also. (Anders, M.)

This is probably the hardest of all the doctrines of Christianity to be received. If we surveyed the average American as to why, we will receive various answers.

• Some would tell us that this doctrine is unwelcome to many because they feel themselves guilty, and their conscience tells them that unless they repent and turn to God this awful doom awaits them.
• Others believe that it is because the thought of future punishment strikes terror to people’s hearts, and therefore this doctrine is repulsive to them.
• To yet others, the thought of everlasting anguish seems utterly incompatible with the fatherly love of God.

Yet we must all acknowledge the remarkable fact that both Jesus and John, who more than anyone else in the New Testament represent the element of love in their lives and teaching, speak most of the future anguish of the wicked (Anders).

There can be no reasonable doubt, that future punishment of the wicked holds a prominent place in the teachings of the Scriptures. What is between the covers of the Bible is the preacher’s message. We do not have the option to forsake this teaching because of post-modernism, haunting conflicts deep within our hearts, misguided humanistic sentimentalism, or the challenges of Pseudo-Evangelicals. For me the Bible and especially the NT teachings of our Lord Jesus are the final authority for my faith and practice. Yet great care must be exercised in the teaching or proclamation of this doctrine. While it is vital that we warn the unsaved of Hell, we must avoid coming across as being desirous of sending them there. After all it is not the saying of hard things that pierces the conscience of people; it is the voice of divine love heard amid the thunder (Anders, MacDonald).

Yet the preacher must not have the heart of a coward when proclaiming the doctrines of future judgment and eternal punishment for sin. No matter how awful this reality may appear to the minds of men. Certainly the Lord Jesus understood the hearts of men better than any of us ever will, and He still stands as the clearest communicator of the horrors of Hell in the entire Bible. The Lord Jesus not only authoritatively assert Hell's reality, He gave graphic details on several occasions to help people realize what great jeopardy they were in.

In addition, fear is a legitimate motive to which we may appeal to persuade people to understand the consequences of rejecting Christ as Savior.  The Comforter, according to the Lord Jesus, will "reprove the world" of sin, righteousness, AND JUDGMENT (Jn. 16:8-11). So as we present the Gospel message, the Holy Spirit will convince, convict, and persuade sinners of their dire jeopardy! While fear may be classified among the lower motives, it is nevertheless true that it is the only motive that will effectively move some people to action. Paul, the apostle, feared God. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; …” (2 Cor. 5:11). He lived in reverential awe of a just and holy God. God still believes in perfect justice! Paul had a proper respect for God's perfect nature, righteous character, and extraordinary power. He was of the persuasion that offending God is the very last thing one should want to do. How much more so when a person is lost living in contradiction to God, habitually violating His perfect moral standard of righteousness, and violently assaulting His Majesty with their very existence? Preachers tend to skip over fear as a motivation for fleeing to God’s grace and mercy. But many forget that fear is not necessarily bad in every instance. The Bible says that those who do not fear God will inevitably be judged (Ps 36; 55:19-23). For those who have persisted in sinful rebellious ways, remembering God should inspire dread, because their ways have been condemned by God, and their path leads to death (2Cor. 2:14-16).

What Does the Bible Say About the Final Destiny of the Unsaved? (Rev. 20:14-15)

Well read carefully and thoughtfully what John wrote in Revelation 20:14-15, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15, And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” As Bible-believers, we view Hell as a place of endless, conscious, physical, spiritual, and emotional suffering in a literal lake of fire for those who have rejected God in their earthly life. Such eternal punishment and separation from God is the "second death." Consider just two observations in this connection screaming at us from this frightening passage.

The Spiritually “Dead” Will Be Cast into “the Lake of Fire.”

"The dead" (Rev. 20:12) is one among several designations for people who have refused God's offer of life, forgiveness, and salvation. The basic idea is that such individuals actually have no relationship with God who is the Source of real life, spiritual life, and abundant life. All peoples from their very birth are "dead" in trespasses and sin because of our innate rebellious propensities (Eph. 2:1-10). We are all sinners, and we all have committed numerous sins against a holy God. Because we are sinners, we have sinned, and our sinful actions and habits evidence the fact that we are sinful rebels against God. Sin always leads to death (Js. 1:15) and such is the case with every non-believer (Rom. 6:23).

When all matters of the final judgment are finished, all "dead" (unsaved) individuals will be cast into hell, the lake of fire, to forever experience the second death.

The "first death" separates a person from this earthly reality, but the "second death" separates the sinner from God and heavenly reality. Non-believers and Believers alike will  experience the first death, but the "second death" is exclusively for the unsaved.  The first death is physical, but the "second death" is eternal in the "lake of fire," the final, eternal Hell (Rev. 20:6, 14).  All death stems from the spiritual consequences of sin (Rom. 5:12). Many people reject the biblical doctrine of Hell as being “unchristian,” and yet Jesus clearly taught its reality again and again (Matt 18:8; 23:15, 33; 25:46; Mark 9:46). Unfortunately there is a sentimental kind of humanistic religion that will not face the reality of judgment; they teach a God who loves everyone into heaven and sends no one to hell. These people have chosen to reject such clear biblical teachings. Their message is a bold-faced lie of the devil designed to appeal to our erroneous sense of self-worth and value because we are ignorant of the infinite value of a righteous and holy God! He has been offended by our sin! They unwittingly devalue the magnitude of offending a righteous God and the magnitude of one single sin. But note the following insightful statement:

One perennial difficulty concerns the relationship between God's love and holiness: How could a loving God reject forever the creature he loves? This question assumes that the creature is the highest intrinsic good, even for God. But the highest good for the God of Scripture is not humanity. Humanity was created for God, and cannot be defined in terms of itself; we exist to glorify God (Ps 73:24-26; Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 10:31; Col 1:16). That is why Jesus insists it is idolatrous to enlist God as humanity's servant (Luke 17:7-10). Certainly God loves the creature; creation itself reflects God's free love. But since God's love is complete in himself, even before creation, the creature cannot be presumed as his one and only end. Nor can the character of God's love be decided a priori, but only by revelation. Consequently, Jesus' warning of the wrath to come (Matt 25:31, 41, 46) must be accepted as an inherent possibility of God's love. (Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology; 1996)

Hell is eternal separation from God and all that is good. No matter what a person thinks, the Bible always describes Hell in ominous and foreboding terms as a place of torment to be avoided at all costs. God communicates this frightful reality to warn men, and point them to His solution to the sin problem in Jesus Christ. I earnestly contend that "love" warns people of eternal jeopardy and does not conceal it! I insist that real "love" provides a means of salvation to bring men into an eternity with God! I cannot help but believe that a God who took the penalty of sin upon Himself in order to save those of us who have violently offended Him is worthy of extreme trust! It is absolutely crazy to question God's love and justice when we are the guilty parties and He has suffered greatly to redeem us unto Himself! Beloved, we must be careful to not misrepresent God!
Today, of course, the concept of Hell has fallen by the wayside among those who do not believe in a literal Hell. Preachers refuse to preach on the subject, and Christians seem content if they forgot it altogether! Yes, Hell is often an awkward subject among those who do believe in the existence of a real Hell. So we do not hear much about Hell from anyone these days. There seems to be a general embarrassment among some Believers about this subject. They are uncomfortable with the challenges from Atheists, Post-Modernists, and Secular Humanists who describe God as sadistic, tyrannical, and a vicious dictator. Some are intimidated by such challenges because they have no answers; they do not know what the Bible says because their preachers have not taught them. Others have abandoned biblical teachings to adopt a 'softer' position that supposedly 'vindicates' God's character in the eyes of unbelievers, skeptics, and scoffers! How foolish to abandon God's words in order to pacify our own confusion, and to avoid appearing unreasonable to people who do not even know God through faith in Jesus Christ! People are more comfortable with ignoring Hell as a reality, and some “Christians” are even ashamed of this biblical teaching. They care too much about offending people while they violently offend God without a second thought. Beloved, this is extremely insane!

Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin.

Much like a just Judge must give and appropriate sentence for the crime committed, a God of righteous character must do so also (Gen. 18:25). To not do so renders Him unrighteous and unjust--an impossible self contradiction. But think about this for a moment.... Who would want an unjust God guiding the universe? In such a scenario, there is zero hope of justice being served! Rapists get off free, child molesters go untouched by justice, and murders suffer no repercussions for taking a precious life. In such a universe oppressors extort, "protect," and harass with impunity; businesses lie, steal, cheat, and manipulate with license; leaders dominate, dictate, enslave, and abuse without any sense of accountability to anyone...including a God who does not behave according to perfect justice! The world we live in may be bad, but it would be exponentially worse without a just God-Judge! We all share the universal hope of egregious wrongs being made right by God eventually. Though the True and Living God is patient to judge sin, He nevertheless will indeed do so! One look at Calvary and the incredible suffering of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, gives us a clue as to how God feels about pure and absolute justice (Rom. 3:21-31). God sacrificed His only Son to save sinners; surely He holds the right to judge those who reject His most gracious offer! Make no mistake about it, God will deal with sin!
Hell is also a witness to man’s responsibility, the fact that he is not a robot or a helpless victim, but a creature able to make choices. God does not merely “send people to hell;” in one sense, they send themselves by rejecting the Savior (Matt 25:41; John 3:16-21). But, God will hold all humanity responsible for their actions and failures and this is in keeping with His righteous character. We have it all wrong if we think that we are being mistreated because we have to live forever with the decision to reject Christ.

Hell is also a witness to the awfulness of sin. If we once saw sin as God views it, we would understand why a place such as Hell exists. Hell is a place of never ending conscious suffering; sin must be truly awful in the extreme to warrant such a place. Hell was created for the eternal punishment of Satan and rebellious angels (Matt. 25:41). Though it was not created for humanity, God will sentence the lost to it to honor their decisions of rejecting Christ as Savior. God will not and does not force people to accept His gifts of salvation, eternal life, forgiveness, sonship, and Heaven! He will respect the choices people have made during their lives when confronted with the opportunity to be saved. Men will reap the fruit of their decisions because God respects the "free will" He gave us!

In light of Calvary, no lost sinner can condemn God for casting him into Hell. God has provided a way of escape, and is patiently waiting for sinners to repent. He will not lower His standards or alter His requirements. He has ordained that faith in His Son is the only way of salvation (Jn. 14:6). We must come to God on His terms for forgiveness and salvation since it is God we have offended.

The word translated hell in the New Testament comes from the Greek word “Gehenna.” It is derived from the valley of Hinnom, located just south of Jerusalem.

This place was a city garbage dump that smoldered and burned twenty-four hours a day every day. In this dreadful place, human sacrifices were once offered to the god Molech (2 Kings 23:10), and it was once used as a burial place for criminals. It’s not difficult to see why it evolved into a metaphor for the everlasting state of punishment for the unsaved. The metaphor presents a powerful image to the mind, but the reality to which it points is even more overwhelming to be sure.

Jesus said Hell was a place of worms, maggots, fire, and trouble. From Him and John we get the image of a lake of fire and the concept of perpetual burning. The evil ones, fallen unrepentant sinners, there are full of remorse and torment (Mark 9:43–48). The Bible speaks of a lake of fire reserved for the Devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). Human beings were not intended to consigned there. But the ones who choose to reject God will one day follow Satan right into this eternal torment. Jesus repeatedly mentioned this awful and eternal danger to give people all the information they needed to turn to God for forgiveness and salvation. He did not leave out this important detail when trying to convince folks of their need to be forgiven and saved. No, the Lord Jesus had the courage to tell people the truth…the entire truth…and nothing but the truth about Hell.

At this point it is also important to note there will be no exit from Hell, no way out, no second chance. That is why it is so important in this life to receive the pardon that God extends to all men through the Cross of Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:11–15).

A number of Bible passages evidently speak of hell as a real place of torment for unbelievers who have died.

Some are far more comfortable with Hell as a symbol or as figurative speech than as a hard reality. In Matthew 10:28, Believers in Christ are told not to be afraid of those who kill the body, but rather to “fear Him which is able to destroy [eternal punishment] both soul and body in hell.” In Matthew 7:23, those who are not true converts of Christ, yet who claim to be true converts, will one day be told by Christ, “I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” In Matthew 25:14–30, a devious unprofitable servant is thrown “into the outer darkness: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Here the image is one of terrible loneliness: separation from a thrice holy God and man. Those who are consigned to hell will be put into the inky blackness of eternity, with nobody to turn to or talk to—constantly alone (Anders). They will suffer the remorse of knowing they had the opportunity to come into heaven with God but turned it down.

This is still not all the Bible says or teaches about the reality of hell. In Luke 12:47–48 and Mark 12:40, we learn that there are degrees of punishment in hell; one servant receives a lighter beating than another servant, and evil hypocrites are worthy of greater condemnation than others. The apostle Paul describes the punishment of the unbelieving as “sudden destruction” when the Day of the Lord comes (1 Thessalonians 5:3) and they will suffer divine wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The punishment of the unbelieving is described as “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). In Hebrews 6:2, “eternal judgment” is prophesied for the unbelieving, and in 10:27, this is enlarged with a reference to a “fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.” All of this points to a definite reality and eternal state that everyone should not only believe in but flee from to Christ.

Other passages impress us with the fact that this torment is conscious and everlasting:

If anyone worships the beast, “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: [11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:10–11). And the devil himself, who deceived people will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

During the future Tribulation Period, many people will believe the Anti-Christ and take his mark of allegiance to him and his kingdom. These who take the mark of the beast will be "tormented with fire and brimestone" and the "smoke of their torment" will continually ascend "for ever and ever" (v. 10, 11) after the Great White Throne Judgment. This passage does not tolerate the false notion that people will be annialated in Hell. It affirms just the opposite teaching that people will consciously suffer forever in Hell. Then Revelation 20:10, informs us that Satan is finally cast into the Lake of Fire where the beast and the false prophet have been suffering for one thousand years (Rev. 19:20). Christ consigned them to Hell at His return to the earth to take up His thousand years reign! Yes, a thousand years later...they are still there suffering when Satan is finally cast in after his judgment at the Great White Throne. This does not seem like annialation at all to me! For some, a deeply troubling aspect of these passages is that it is difficult to harmonize eternal punishment with the character of God. The popular question is, How can a loving God punish people in unspeakable agony forever? In response to this, John Walvoord writes:

If the slightest sin is infinite in its significance, then it also demands infinite punishment as a divine judgment. Though it is common for all Christians to wish that there were some way out of the doctrine of eternal punishment because of its inexorable and unyielding revelation of divine judgment, one must rely on Christian faith on the doctrine that God is a God of infinite righteousness as well as infinite love. While on the one hand he bestows infinite grace on those who trust him, he must, on the other hand, inflict eternal punishment on those who spurn him” (Four Views of Hell 27).

Sensitive Believers struggle with this grave truth. Yet because we believe in the authenticity and authority of the Scripture, we feel that we have no alternative but to believe that Hell is a real place of conscious, eternal punishment, since the Bible so clearly teaches it. For us, the Bible is the basis for harmonizing the concept of God's righteousness and justice with His love and mercy. Sensitive literalists believe in a literal, conscious, everlasting Hell not because we want to but because the Bible teaches it. Again it is not tradition that we believe, but God Himself who wrote in the Word of God.

We believe in a God of justice and righteousness balanced by love and mercy because the Bible teaches it. And if all this exceeds our understanding, we suspend judgment of God's character, believing that we either do not have enough information or enough capacity to understand the subject as God does. We believe that when we stand before Him, and know even as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12), then it will all be clear. This has been the majority interpretation of the Christian faith for two thousand years (Anders).

The Unsaved Individuals Who Die in Their Sins Will Spend Eternity in Hell.

It is important to recognize that the unsaved will be punished forever in the Lake of Fire. It is equally important to understand why. It is because the unsaved individuals died in their sinful and unforgiven state. They never took advantage of the opportunity to make thing right with God Whom their lives have gravely offended with sin. Once again these conclusions and assertions are based squarely on what the Bible spells out repeatedly.       

I repeat, the all time greatest Hell fire and brimstone preacher said in John 8:21, “Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.” Yes, the Lord Jesus warned people of the consequences of rejecting Him and His Gospel message. He desires to give them all of the information they would need to make an informed and intelligent decision with God’s gracious offer. This was so extremely important to Him that He echoed it again to emphasize how important the opportunity they were entertaining was. So, once again Jesus thunders in John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” There are other passages that teach this very same idea (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14, 15;  21:8).

The “death” spoken of in these fearful passages does not mean cessation of existence any more than eternal life means the beginning of existence. Eternal life does not mean merely to live forever, but to live in a state of blessedness with God for ever (Anders). Eternal life deals not so much with quantity as with quality of existence. The same is true with eternal death. It is a most undesirable quality of existence, not cessation of being. Even in this life death can co-exist with life: “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth” (1 Tim. 5:6); Eph. 2:1). What men call life God calls death.

There are two things which the Believer gets: at his regeneration, eternal life; at his resurrection, immortality; but in both instances he already has life and existence. So it is in the case of the wicked: the second death does not mean cessation of existence, for he is dead already, now in this life (1 Tim. 5:6; Eph. 2:1; John 5:24, 25). Revelation 21:8, describes what “death,” as here used, means: “But the fearful, and the unbelieving … shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

At the Great White Throne judgment, those who have rejected God receive the just rewards of their unbelief and sin. In this terrifying reality, justice will be served. You can escape this terrible judgment by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. By so doing, you never will be a part of the second resurrection or experience the terrors of the second death, the Lake of Fire.

"He that heareth My Word," said Jesus, "and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment], but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

Have you trusted Him and passed from death unto life? If a person does not believe in judgment for unbelief and sin, they will underestimate the negative consequences of rejecting God and place themselves in dire eternal peril. Why not take this moment to acknowledge your sinfulness to God as I had to over 23 years ago? Why not ask God to forgive you for your rebellion against His Majesty, disregard of His grace, and blatant violations of His perfect moral standard? I did, and He forgave me. Why not turn to God for forgiveness on the basis of Christ's death for our sins and His resurrection for our justification with God? Millions have and now stand forgiven and justified before God! It is time for you to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ with every fiber of your soul. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and literally arose bodily from the grave on the third day just as the Bible predicted He would (1 Cor. 15:1-8). Many Believers saw Him, talked with, ate with, learned from, and were taught by Jesus Christ after His resurrection! He is alive; though now back in Heaven, He is waiting and willing to save anyone and everyone who will turn to Him with a heart of faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you too will be saved by God's infinite grace (Rom. 10:8-17). Do not delay; trust Christ Jesus today!!!

Of course, the Bible teaches that Hell is a real place, an unspeakably terrible place of pain, punishment, and everlasting destruction. Yes, the Lord Jesus believed in Hell and warned people not to go there and that those who do not accept Him will go there. In addition, the threat of Hell ought to motivate us to share the message of the gospel with others, that we might be used of God to keep people from that dreadful fate. May God give each of us the faith, compassion, wisdom, and courage to do so. To the glory of God and salvation of sinners like us.