Greetings in Christ from sunny Texas,
What exactly do we know about the conditions in that place known as Hell?
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
And these shall go away — these “cursed” ones. Sentence, it should seem, was first pronounced - in the hearing of the wicked - upon the righteous, who thereupon sit as assessors in the judgment upon the wicked (1Co_6:2); but sentence is first executed, it should seem, upon the wicked, in the sight of the righteous - whose glory will thus not be beheld by the wicked, while their descent into “their own place” will be witnessed by the righteous, as Bengel notes.
into everlasting punishment — or, as in Mat_25:41, “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Compare Mat_13:42; 2Th_1:9, etc. This is said to be “prepared for the devil and his angels,” because they were “first in transgression.” But both have one doom, because one unholy character.
but the righteous into life eternal — that is, “life everlasting.” The word in both clauses, being in the original the same, should have been the same in the translation also. Thus the decisions of this awful day will be final, irreversible, unending.
Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
We see that the result is everlasting and that it is a place of torement and pain.
Mat 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom — to which they never really belonged. They usurped their place and name and outward privileges; but “the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners [abide] in the congregation of the righteous” (Psa_1:5).
all things that offend — all those who have proved a stumbling-block to others
and them which do iniquity — The former class, as the worst, are mentioned first.
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire — rather, “the furnace of fire”:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth — What terrific strength of language - the “casting” or “flinging” expressive of indignation, abhorrence, contempt (compare Psa_9:17; Dan_12:2): “the furnace of fire” denoting the fierceness of the torment: the “wailing” signifying the anguish this causes; while the “gnashing of teeth” is a graphic way of expressing the despair in which its remedilessness issues (see Mat_8:12)!
Rev 14:10 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:
Rev 14:11 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.
for ever and ever — Greek, “unto ages of ages.”
no rest day nor night — Contrast the very different sense in which the same is said of the four living creatures in heaven, “They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy”; yet they do “rest” in another sense; they rest from sin and sorrow, weariness and weakness, trial and temptation (Rev_14:13); the lost have no rest from sin and Satan, terror, torment, and remorse.
God is clearly pointing out the pain of hell so we can choose to stay out of it. Yet Hell is more than just a place of pain, it is also a place of darkness.
Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And cast ye — cast ye out.
the unprofitable servant — the useless servant, that does his Master no service.
into outer darkness — the darkness which is outside. On this expression see on Mat_22:13.
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth — See on Mat_13:42.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
if — The apodosis or consequent member of the sentence is not expressed, but is virtually contained in 2Pe_2:9. If God in past time has punished the ungodly and saved His people, He will be sure to do so also in our days (compare end of 2Pe_2:3).
angels — the highest of intelligent creatures (compare with this verse, Jud_1:6), yet not spared when they sinned.
hell — Greek, “Tartarus”: nowhere else in New Testament or the Septuagint: equivalent to the usual Greek, “Gehenna.” Not inconsistent with 1Pe_5:8; for though their final doom is hell, yet for a time they are permitted to roam beyond it in “the darkness of this world.” Slaves of Tartarus (called “the abyss,” or “deep,” Luk_8:31; “the bottomless pit,” Rev_9:11) may also come upon earth. Step by step they are given to Tartarus, until at last they shall be wholly bound to it.
delivered — as the judge delivers the condemned prisoner to the officers (Rev_20:2).
into chains — (Jud_1:6). The oldest manuscripts read, “dens,” as Alford translates: the Greek, however, may, in Hellenistic Greek, mean “chains,” as Jude expresses it. They are “reserved” unto hell’s “mist of darkness” as their final “judgment” or doom, and meanwhile their exclusion from the light of heaven is begun. So the ungodly were considered as virtually “in prison,” though at large on the earth, from the moment that God’s sentence went forth, though not executed till one hundred twenty years after.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat_22:1-14. Parable of the marriage of the king’s son.
This is a different parable from that of the Great Supper, in Luk_14:15, etc., and is recorded by Matthew alone.
Remember--God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all..
1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
To be separated from God means being in the "OUTER DARKNESS" forever!! Frightening, painful, desolate darkness..That is hell.
I know that there are many who are not very happy with even thinking about hell..but we need to--and, it is one very negative subject that is found in both covenants.
To be continued
Richard79408