Many of the passages in the Bible that describe hell only give us vague and often metaphorical descriptions. We hear about the environment in hell:
- Those sent to hell are outside (Matthew 8:12)
- Shut out from the presence of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
- Hell is a place of the blackest darkness (2 Peter 2:17)
- It is a place of fire…consuming fire…unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43)
- It is described as gloomy dungeons (2 Peter 2:4)
- And it contains dead bodies (Isaiah 66:24)
We also hear about the condition of people in hell:
- Those in hell are twice dead (Jude 1:12)
- They are punished (Matthew 25:46; Jude 1:7).
- They are condemned to destruction (Matthew 7:13; John 17:12;
- Those in hell suffer shame and disgrace (Ezekiel 32)
- In hell, everyone is salted with fire (Mark 9:49) and is burning (Isaiah 1:31)
- They are cut to pieces (Matthew 24:51).
- There is no rest day or night (Revelation 14:11).
But the only passage that describes the everyday experience of people in hell is a story Jesus told in Luke 16. We don’t know if the characters are real-life or fictional (like most of his other parables), so we need to take the story with a grain of salt. But still, the story gives us valuable insights into what people might experience in hell:
There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate. He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. ‘Father Abraham! ’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame! ’ (Luke 16:19-24)
So in addition to the other passages about hell, here’s another clear indication that people in hell are in physical pain. And the rich man knows it isn’t about to end anytime soon.
There’s a growing belief among Christians today that a loving God could never sentence anyone to this much pain for eternity. So they’re annihilated. Snuffed out. The believe hell is the final death – the death of the soul.
But that’s not the idea we get here. The rich man is fully aware of what he’s going through, and it doesn’t seem to be a temporary situation.
The rich man is suffering in Hades, but he can see the good time Lazarus is having in paradise. He thinks that he deserves to have the same comforts as Lazarus has.
And not only that, he thinks he can still order the beggar Lazarus to come give him a drink of water! He’s still just as prideful and selfish in hell as he was on earth. He’s showing no remorse, so Abraham reminds him:
“ ‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’ (Luke 16:25-26)
Abraham is careful with his words here. He says to the rich man, “Remember that during your life you received your good things.” Abraham is reminding him that he chose exactly what he wanted to pursue. And he got it. But that’s all he received.
Through Abraham, Jesus is repeating the warning he gave to the Pharisees in the Sermon on the Mount, when he told them that if they were looking for earthly rewards and recognition for their good deeds, they could find them, but that’s all they would ever get. No gold stars next to their names in heaven. No rubies or diamonds in their heavenly crowns.
And so Abraham reminds the rich man again, “You made your choice. Through your selfish independence in the first life, you chose your eternal destiny for the next life. And the great chasm means that there’s no changing things.
Like a prison window, the rich man can see outside, but can’t go there. When he finally understands this, he tries another idea:
“‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house — because I have five brothers — to warn them, so that they won’t also come to this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ (Luke 16:27-29)
For the first time in the story, the rich man is showing that he’s concerned about someone besides himself. He’s worried about his five brothers, and doesn’t want them to end up where he is.
But he still doesn’t quite get it. Between the lines of his words, you can hear his accusation against God: ”If someone had told me about this place, I would have acted differently.”
So Abraham replies, “They have God’s word in the Scriptures just like you did. That’s all they need, and that’s all you ever needed.” But the rich man still isn’t convinced:
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:30-31)
The rich man still wants to argue with God and his prophet! Hell hasn’t softened him, it’s made him even more hardened.
So, like this man, people in hell are probably constantly experiencing the bitterness, anger, and depression that come along with a hardened heart. They aren’t drawn toward God over time, they’re driven further away from him over time. This confirms that apart from God’s supernatural grace, the natural bent of our hearts is away from his loving reign.
Hell seems cruel and barbaric to our modern minds. It’s not pleasant to think about. But according to Romans 8:28, God works for the good of those who love him in all things. And all things includes the existence of hell.
Jonathan Edwards said there are two good things that the existence of hell does for believers:
1. Hell makes us appreciate God’s justice.
We’d rather think of God as a loving and merciful God. A warm and fuzzy God. But God’s justice is just a part of his love as his mercy. He cannot tolerate sin, and cannot allow it to go unpunished. If Hitler had survived World War 2, we would cry out for his punishment. And God is the same. The punishment in hell for those who have not accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for their sins is a good thing. It reminds us that God really is holy and really does take sin seriously.
2. Hell makes us appreciate how great our salvation really is.
In Isaiah and Revelation, we’re told that the saints in heaven will be able to see the suffering in hell. Like Father Abraham, we’ll see the torment they’re enduring. There’s no other place in Scripture that says we’ll be able to communicate with them like Abraham does in Jesus’ story, but we will definitely understand what hell is like, and we’ll appreciate God’s grace all the more when we see what he has saved us from.
For all eternity, we’ll have greater appreciation for heaven because we understand the agony of hell.