Kingdom of Hades by Vishchun.From Wikimedia Commons.
Hell and the Fate of the Wicked
The Different Compartments of Hell Video
Scroll down for things that prevent us entering the Kingdom of Heaven
In the bible hell is a place that God created for the devil and the angels that joined with him in his rebellion against God.
[Mat 25:41 KJV] 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
The Hebrew word for hell is Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) which means “hollow” and is a general term relating to the abode of the dead. The way to Sheol is always down. For example when Korah and his followers rebelled against Moses the earth opened and swallowed them up. They went down to the pit, or Sheol.
[Num 16:32-33 KJV] 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that [appertained] unto Korah, and all [their] goods. 33 They, and all that [appertained] to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation
Dore. Death of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. From Wikimedia Commons.
The original compartment of hell was Tartarus (ταρταρόω) which is only referred to once in the New Testament. It is the place where the angels that sinned are chained up and have to wait for judgement day.
[2Pe 2:4 KJV] 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell (Tartarus), and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
The word Tartarus is a Greek word and in Greek mythology it was the deepest part of hell where the Titans, the original pre Olympian Gods, were imprisoned . It may be that the myth of the Titans was rooted in the the true biblical story of fallen angels.
Luca Giordano - The Fall of the Rebel Angels - From Wikimedia Commons.
Hendrick ter Brugghen - The Rich Man and the Poor Lazarus. From Wikimedia Commons
After the fall of Adam and Eve two more compartments of hell were required for humanity. Firstly, Abraham’s Bosom or Paradise. This was the part of Sheol reserved for Old Testament believers before the time of Christ. They had to wait in this place until the death and resurrection of Christ made it possible for all believers to enter heaven. The most detailed account we have of this place is in Luke chapter 16.
[Luk 16:22-23 KJV] 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell (Hades) he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
It’s a salutary lesson for us not to judge people by their outward circumstances. The bible states that the rich receive their comforts in this world not the next.
[Luk 6:24 KJV] 24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
The other compartment that was created is referred to as Hades. This is the place where the rich man went when he died and is a gloomy waiting place where souls wait for Judgement Day.
Hades is a place for souls before they are reunited with their bodies. From the account in Luke 16 it appears to be a place of heat and thirst.
Abraham’s bosom was emptied when Jesus was resurrected. Hades will continue until Judgement Day. After Judgement Day it will no longer be required and will itself be thrown into the Lake of Fire.
[Rev 20:14 KJV] 14 And death and hell (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
The death of our mortal bodies is the first death. The wicked die a second death when they are cast into the Lake of Fire.
The Rich Man in Hell and the Poor Lazarus in Abraham's Lap, from Das Plenarium, print, Hans Schäufelein. From Wikimedia Commons.
Foster Bible Pictures. Offering to Molech. From Wikimedia Commons.
The Lake of Fire is also called called Gehenna (the Valley of Hinnom). This is an actual valley outside of Jerusalem where dead bodies and ashes were thrown. In the old testament the Valley of Hinnom was a place where children were sacrificed to the false god Molech
[Jer 7:31 KJV] 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded [them] not, neither came it into my heart.
The word Gehenna is also used twelve times in the New Testament to represent the final destination of the wicked. It is the place where the wicked go when they die. Jesus uses the word Gehenna when referring to this place
[Mar 9:43 KJV] 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Hell Lava Pit. From Wikimedia Commons.
The bible is quite clear about who will die the second death.
[Rev 21:8 NKJV] 8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
The symbolism of Gehenna is also found in its location. Gehenna is a place outside the city of Jerusalem. The ultimate fate of the wicked is suffering outside of the gates of the New Jerusalem.
[Rev 22:15 NKJV] 15 But outside [are] dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
As far as I can understand the Lake of Fire and Gehenna are synonymous with each other. Ultimately the souls of the righteous will be united with their resurrection bodies in heaven. The souls of the wicked will be reunited with their bodies in Gehenna.
Allegory of Wealth, Lust and Stupidity, drawing, Joos van Winghe. From Wikimedia Commons
Things that Prevent a Person entering the Kingdom of Heaven
Things that Prevent a Person entering the Kingdom of Heaven Video
Christ before Pilate from the series The Life of Christ by James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum. From Wikimedia Commons.
The only thing that saves us is God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However the bible also tells us to examine ourselves to see if Christ is in us
[2Co 13:5 KJV] 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
We are warned not to deceive ourselves about the seriousness of sin
[Eph 5:6 KJV] 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
We all sin but some sins are greater than others. Jesus made this clear when talking to Pilate.
[Jhn 19:11 KJV] 11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder- The Seven Deadly Sins or the Seven Vices. From Wikimedia Commons
There are sins that lead to death, Despite that fact that we all sin some sins lead to death and some don’t. We are told to pray for brothers who commit sins that don’t lead to death.
[1Jo 5:16-17 KJV] 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
A sin that leads to death would involve the complete and utter rejection of the saving work of Jesus Christ. This is wilful sin by a person who knows they are sinning but doesn’t care. The New Testament gives several lists of such sins.
The Catholic church attempted to categorise such sins, calling them The Seven Deadly Sins. These were: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth.
Lists of sins that we are warned against are given throughout the New Testament. For example in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, Ephesians 5:3-5, Galatians 5:19-21, 2 Timothy 3:1-7, Revelation 21:8 and in many other places. All these are sins which a believer can fall into but which can be repented of. We are called to pray for a believer if we see him or her fall into such sins. However if believers continue in such sins they are in danger of hardening their hearts and putting themselves beyond repentance.
[2Pe 2:20-21 KJV] 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
The following chart is a list of 49 sins from the New Testament.
The Drinker (1868) by Albert Anker. From Wikimedia Commons
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All these sins can be repented of and be forgiven. However those that do such things without repenting cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
[Gal 5:21 KJV] 21…..as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
In order to enter the kingdom of God we need the simple faith of a child to come to Jesus, accept His teaching and accept the leading of the Holy Spirit.
[Mar 10:15 KJV] 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Jesus will forgive any sin but He can’t forgive people who reject Him as they are rejecting the means of their own salvation.
Christ Blessing Little Children from the Ideal Holy Bible. From Wikimedia Commons
Sins That Are No Longer Regarded As Sins
Fornication
Drunkenness
Coveting
Reviling
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Sins that are no longer regarded as sins. Video
The bible lists many sins. In my video Things that Prevent a Person entering the Kingdom of Heaven I have listed 49 serious sins that are listed in the New Testament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLPPnU1R02E
Here I am concerned with the sins that are listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
[1Co 6:9-10 KJV] 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Some of these sins are still regarded by believers as sinful. Others we tend to turn a blind eye to. However their power to prevent us entering the Kingdom of God remains unchanged.
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The reason that this topic is relevant to bible prophecy is that people’s personal sin does not just affect them but everyone around them. When sin is allowed to flourish in a nation the whole nation is affected.
[Pro 14:34 KJV] 34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin [is] a reproach to any people.
When sin flourishes in the whole world the world cannot bear the weight of it
[Isa 24:20 KJV] 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Currently only God’s grace and his restraining hand is preventing the world from being destroyed but we can see around us the degeneration of the natural world. A process which began with the fall of Adam and Eve.
Great Day of His Wrath. John Martin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Currently we are seeing a process where the concept of sin is being eroded and behaviour that was once regarded as sinful is now applauded. This is something that the bible says will happen but it brings with it the wrath of God.
[Isa 5:20 KJV] 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
The next series of short videos looks at four sins that no longer have any censure attached to them. They have become normalised: -
Fornication
Drunkenness
Coveting
Reviling
Just because society says that something is not wrong anymore does not mean that it suddenly becomes alright in God’s sight. He is not like men who change their minds. He is the same forever
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Cain and Abel. the Providence Lithograph Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
[Num 23:19 KJV] 19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Sin is what cuts us off from God whether we recognise it as sin or not. It’s up to each of us to resist it. The Lord spoke to Cain before he killed his brother.
[Gen 4:6-7 KJV] 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him (meaning that Cain should rule over sin).
However sin got the better of him. Now we as believers need to recognise sin for what it is. We have the power of God’s Holy Spirit in us so we no longer have to be slaves to sin.
The Sin of Fornication
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This title may seem ridiculous to many people today but fornication is still as ruinous a sin as it always was.
I have done a video on Things That Prevent a Person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. There are 49 sins from the New Testament listed. Top of the list is the sin of fornication. Fornication can be defined as:
“consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other.”
Merriam-Webster.
Fornication is no longer generally regarded as a sin because it is consensual (not rape) and it is distinct from adultery. However before this permissive age it was always regarded as a sin and unmarried people living together were regarded as living in sin.
The New Testament is absolutely clear that it is a sin and one that we should flee from.
Paolo and Francesca, whom Dante's Inferno describes as damned for fornicationJean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
[1Co 6:18 KJV] 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Christians who are unrepentant of this sin are permanently affected by it in their mind and in their body. The Holy Spirit can no longer dwell in the temple (the physical body) and the conscience of the person becomes seared.
The result of this is that those affected can no longer endure fellowship with believers and become angry and condemnatory of others Christians. We are called as followers of Christ to live simple lives free from corruption.
[Eph 5:3 KJV] 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Prostitution in Brazil. Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
This understanding that our bodies are holy and belong to God is something that God put into every human being from the time of Adam. We have a choice whether to treat our bodies as holy or unholy. For a Christian this is even more the case as our bodies have been bought at a price. We are not to unite our bodies with anyone other than our lawfully married spouse.
[1Co 6:15 KJV] 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make [them] the members of an harlot? God forbid.
I believe that most people deep down know that fornication is wrong. However it’s something that we find hard to talk about or admit to ourselves. The result is that if we commit this sin we have have a permanently bad conscience that keeps getting pricked and we react defensively by trying to justify ourselves and take up causes to prove our own righteousness.
Photo by Colton Duke on Unsplash
I am often struck by the fact that bible believing Christians who are living clean lives tend not to be highly politicised. However as soon as they depart from the narrow road of righteousness they start to take up causes such as saving the planet, trans right, gay rights, and so on and so on.
When our conscience is clear we find peace and trust in the Lord for everything.
[Isa 32:17 KJV] 17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Ultimately the bible tells us to wait for the Lord. We can try and fix our problems by getting into wrong relationships. We can try to fix the world’s problems by taking up causes but the Word of the Lord will never change and the bible tells us keep our simple, childlike faith free from worldly cares.
Photo by Kyle Nieber on Unsplash
Psalm 131
A Song of degrees of David.
LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul [is] even as a weaned child. 3 Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.
The Sin of Drunkenness
[1Co 6:10 KJV] 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
The Sin of Drunkenness Video
Photo by thom masat on Unsplash
This is the second in a series of videos on sins that people don’t regard as sins. Drunkenness is often regarded as an illness, an addiction or a mental health issue. However the bible is quite clear that it is a sin and consequently the only cure for it is repentance.
[1Co 5:11 KJV] 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
So, if someone calls themselves a Christian but is a drunkard we are not to eat with such a person.
One of the difficulties with alcohol is that, unlike illegal drugs, it is socially normal to drink. The dividing line between social drinking and drunkenness is not always clear. How do we know when the line is crossed?
For all of us the bible tells to to examine ourselves to see if Christ is in us
[2Co 13:5 KJV] 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
If I am an unrepentant drunkard then I will not enter the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:10). Therefore, I need to check on the characteristics of a drunkard to see if I am one. The characteristics of a drunkard can be found in the bible as it is a sin that dates back at least to the time of Noah. The characteristics of drunkenness are always the same and have not changed down through the ages . They are as follows: -
The Drinker (1868) by Albert Anker. From Wikimedia Commons
Drunk lady.Joel Kramer, via Wikimedia Commons
Many drunkards will argue that they are saved by grace despite their drinking. This may be the case but in most cases the individual may have simply said a commitment prayer and even got baptised but they never repented of their sin. The bible is clear that there is no salvation without repentance
[Luk 13:3 KJV] 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Another argument might be that the person feels sorrow for their sin and therefore they have repented. However just feeling sorrow is not necessarily repentance.
[2Co 7:10 KJV] 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Drunkenness is a spiritual condition which robs people of their dignity. It destroys families, relationships, careers and lives. In fact everything good in our lives will be destroyed by drunkenness. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. I was an addictions nurse for many years and tried everything humanly possible in the way of medication and therapy to help people escape from the curse of alcohol. However unless there is a real desire in the person to change (not just feeling sorry for themselves) nothing will help.
The Sin of Covetousness
[1Co 6:10 KJV] 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
The Sin of Covetousness.
Covetousness is defined as follows:
a strong wish to have something, especially something that belongs to someone else.
Cambridge Dictionary
As with the other sins in this series covetousness is not now regarded as sinful. In fact it is often lauded as being ambitious and go getting. However in the bible it is a serious sin. In fact many people feel that covetousness is the driver behind many other sins. The tenth commandment is “thou shalt not covet”. It is the last of the ten commandments and it has been said that in the bible, where there is a list, the last thing on the list is the key to the others. For example in Proverbs 6, a list of six things is given that the Lord hates but seven that are an abomination to him. The seventh on the list being a man who sows discord among brethren. This last one leads to the other things on the list such as arrogance, lying and murder.
Covetousness is not exactly the same thing as greed. Greed is wanting to have more than we need. Covetousness is specifically wanting to have something that belongs to someone else. We see this in the tenth commandment.
[Exo 20:17 KJV] 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.
Jesus was asked by a lawyer to define who his neighbour was
[Luke 10:29 KJV] 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
In answer to this Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan showing that our neighbour is anyone we meet along the way. So, we are not to covet anything that belongs to someone else. We are to respect private property.
Moses with the Tables of the Law. Guido Reni, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Street Child in Bangladesh, via Wikimedia Commons
The result of covetousness is that we lose the concept of anything belonging to someone else. All boundaries are destroyed. The only thing that counts is whether we want something. All theft, adultery, fraud, extortion, envy, and lust come out of covetousness. Alongside these sins come lying, hatred and murder.
The Old Testament prophet Micah was greatly concerned with injustice toward the lowly, unjust business dealings, robbery, mistreatment of women. What was the root cause of this injustice? He gives us the answer.
[Mic 2:1-2 KJV] 1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2 And they covet fields, and take [them] by violence; and houses, and take [them] away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
Bathsheba. Artemisia Gentileschi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In other words, the powerful took what they wanted from the weak for no other reason than that they wanted it and had the power to do it.
This seems to be a sin that particularly incites the Lord’s anger. God spoke of King David as a man after His own heart.
[Act 13:22 KJV] 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
Even David though, incurred the Lord’s anger by stealing another man’s wife which in turn caused him to bring about her husband’s death. David had power and wealth and many wives of his own but chose to steal a wife from one of his servants who only had one wife. As a result the sword never departed from his house.
[2Sa 12:10 KJV] 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
David repented of his sin and there was forgiveness for him despite the terrible consequences.
There is always forgiveness for us when we truly turn from our sins. However somehow we as Christians seem to have turned this around to saying that it is alright to sin because God will forgive us. As long as we think like that we have not turned from the sin and cannot receive God’s forgiveness. The New Testament repeatedly tells us not to deceive ourselves but to lead holy lives.
The Sin of the Reviler
[1Co 6:10 KJV] 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
The Sin of the Reviler Video
This is the last in the series of sins that are no longer regarded as sins.
To revile is defined as follows:
to criticise someone strongly, or say unpleasant things to or about someone
Cambridge Dictionary.
A reviler is someone who constantly criticises other people and is abusive towards them. This trait is something that is celebrated in the media and there is an endless stream of media content which exists almost exclusively to pull people down and insult people. Scoffing and mockery are things that are severely sanctioned in the bible. The very first verse of the first Psalm tells us:
[Psa 1:1 KJV] 1 Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Logo for the comedy show, Mock the Week.
Reviling is something that every believer will have to face. Jesus Himself had to face it throughout his life, right up until the end.
[Luk 22:63 KJV] 63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote [him].
There have always been revilers but since the 1960s it has become more and more acceptable and is dressed up as satire or wittiness. In the United Kingdom we had a satire boom in the 1960s when it became acceptable to pillory public figures in a way that had not been seen previously. Since then the situation has got worse and we have well known comedians who do little but heap abuse, without restraint, on their targets.
We have become so used to this that it is easy to forget that no reviler will inherit the Kingdom of God. This is how sin works. It slowly inserts itself into our live, breaks down our resistance and becomes normalised
The Mocking of Christ. Gerard van Honthorst, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Social media has been a breeding ground for reviling. When someone says something that we don’t like we tend to revile. That is, speak abusively of those we don't agree with. However this is exactly how the bible tells us not to respond. Jesus is to be our example.
[1Pe 2:23 KJV] 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:
We as believers do not overcome evil with evil but overcome evil with good. The bible tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
[2Co 10:4 KJV] 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
We should not respond carnally (in the flesh). Paul taught us saying that when we are reviled we should bless (1 Corinthians 4:12). We should never respond to insults or persecution or defamation in the same spirit that these things come to us. We respond in love, trust in the Lord and even suffer if we have to but we don’t bite back.
We should not get involved in cursing or reviling our leaders however tempting. Even when the rulers are evil we don’t revile them.
[Exo 22:28 KJV] 28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Living by the Spirit is usually living against our own human nature.