The following is a Chapter out of the book "Apocalypse, The Coming Judgment Of The Nations" by Grant R. Jeffrey.
"God will judge the souls of unrepentant sinners and sentence them to the degree of punishment they deserve... One of the most horrible things about hell, aside from the torment of the lake of fire, will be the companions that will surround sinners throughout eternity. Every torturer, bully and cruel individual will be imprisoned there forever. All those in hell will possess an immortal body that can experience sensation but cannot die. For a normal citizen, a sentence of life in prison with violent offenders would become a living hell. Those who reject Christ's salvation and heaven will have chosen to exist in hell with these evil companions forever. Christ warned that those who refuse His mercy will "go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched; 'their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched'" (Mark 9:43). Another terrible aspect of hell is that sinners will still be aware of the saints and their joy in the Kingdom or God in heaven. "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out" (Luke 13:28). Another horror of hell is that these sinners will never rest. "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:11).
Some have tried to escape the grim reality of hell as described in the Bible. They have suggested that all these descriptions are only symbolic. Obviously the biblical writer was forced to use the best language they had available to describe the terrible visions of judgment given to them by God. Regardless of how you choose to interpret these descriptions of hell, the Bible's clear warning is that hell will be the most terrible reality we could ever imagine. God's holy justice demands that sinful rebellion must be punished. The holiness of God's heaven makes it impossible for any unrepentant sinner to enter there. There is a righteous need to punish sin expressed in biblical passages such as Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life in Christ Jesus our Lord." When some writers consider the boundless love of God they suggest that this love could not possibly allow unrepentant sinners to endue an eternity in hell. However, it is impossible for our finite minds, warped by years of exposure to sin, to determine what degree of punishment is consistent with God's infinite love for mankind and the demands for holy justice.
Certain writers try to soften the warnings of an eternity in torment by suggesting that hell will be limited in duration. However many biblical passages contain the clear warning of our Savior that hell is eternal. "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). Furthermore, if the passage of time would bring the suffering of hell to an end, why would Jesus Christ have left heaven to die on the cross to save us from eternal punishment. Others have argued that hell really means the annihilation of the souls of the wicked. However, a careful examination of the many relevant passages describing hell as "everlasting fire" prevents us from accepting this interpretation. In Revelation 20:10 John prophesied that Satan will be cast into the lake of fire to join the Antichrist and False Prophet "and they will be tormented day and night forever." Johns awesome vision of the Great White Throne ends with these words, "And anyone not found written in the Book Of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Finally, the fact that Jesus went to the cross to die horribly for our sins is the greatest proof that hell is both real and eternal. If hell was not eternal and terrible beyond words, why would Christ have paid the supreme price of the cross and the "three days and nights" when "He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?""
For all of you who have read all the fulfilled Biblical prophecies on this site and our other sites, but are still living a lukewarm life towards Jesus, then I pray that you realize hell is a real place, and an eternal place, and a place you want to stay out of. I pray that you turn your life over to Jesus and get in the "Book Of Life." You can start your journey to heaven by reading our comment on 4/18/2004 "Abandonment of Your Will to God (praying for salvation) and say that simple prayer. God bless you.
By George Konig
March 19, 2006
www.georgekonig.org
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