Hell, the Lake of Fire, and Eternal Judgment (Part 2) – The Lake of Fire; The Justice of Eternal Judgment

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I.       The Lake of fire

1. The beast and the false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20).
2. The devil will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).
3. The lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, and the wicked will join them there (Mat 25:41).
4. There will be everlasting punishment for them there (Mat 25:46).
5. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Rev 20:10).
6. Torment – 1. trans. To put to torment or torture; to inflict torture upon.
7. The wicked will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of Jesus Christ for ever and ever (Rev 14:9-11; Pro 15:11; Job 26:6).
8. They will be punished with everlasting destruction from (coming from) the presence of the Lord (2Th 1:9).
9. This doesn’t mean that they will be separated from the presence of God.

iii.    From prep. – 1. Denoting departure or moving away: governing a n. which indicates a point of departure or place whence motion takes place. 1611 Bible Gen. iv. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.

1. Just as Cain went from the presence of the Lord (Gen 4:16), so the punishment and everlasting destruction will go from the presence of the Lord unto the wicked (2Th 1:9).
2. “This destruction shall come from the presence of the Lord, that is, immediately from God himself. Here God punishes sinners by creatures, by instruments; but then he will take the work into his own hands. It will be destruction from the Almighty, more terrible than the consuming fire which consumed Nadab and Abihu, which came from before the Lord. It shall come from the glory of his power, or from his glorious power. Not only the justice of God, but this almighty power, will be glorified in the destruction of sinners; and who knows the power of his anger? He is able to cast into hell.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, commenting on 2Th 1:9)
3. In the same way that punishment comes to the wicked from the presence of the Lord, times of refreshing shall come to the righteous from the presence of the Lord (Act 3:19).

vii.  To say that the wicked will be separated from God’s presence is to say that God is not omnipresent, which is false (Pro 15:3).

3. Death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14).
4. All who are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).

II.    The justice of eternal judgment.

1.      It is often asked, how can a just God consign a person to an eternity of torment in hell?

1. To some who understand the doctrine of election, it seems especially unrighteous for God to send someone to hell who was made a sinner by Adam’s transgression (Rom 5:12,19) and never had a chance to be saved.
2. To some, it seems even more unfair that God would damn an unborn baby (Rom 9:11-13) to hell who was not one of His elect.
3. Let’s examine these things.

2.      Why does God send anyone to hell?

1. God is holy (1Pe 1:15-16).
2. God’s law is holy, just, and good (Rom 7:12; Psa 119:137).
3. Sin is the transgression of the law (1Jo 3:4).
4. Sin must be punished.
5. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).
6. Evil cannot dwell with God (Psa 5:4).
7. God is so holy that He cannot even look on iniquity (Hab 1:13; Isa 59:2).
8. God hates sin (Heb 1:9; Jer 44:3-4).
9. God hates sinners (Psa 5:5; Psa 11:5).
10. Sinners hate God and are His enemies (Rom 5:10; Rom 8:7).
11. Enmity – 1. The disposition or the feelings characteristic of an enemy; ill-will, hatred.
12. Every person that goes to hell hates God.
13. Because God is righteous and just, He cannot acquit the wicked nor clear the guilty (Nah 1:2-3; Exo 34:7; Num 14:18; Job 10:14).
14. Therefore, God must punish sinners.

3.      Why punish the wicked with fire?

1. God’s wrath burns like fire (Psa 21:8-9; Eze 22:21).
2. Fire removes impurities (Pro 17:3).
3. Melting silver removes the dross (Pro 25:4).
4. The wicked are dross (Psa 119:119).

iii.    Therefore, God melts them in the fire (Eze 22:17-22).

1. The wicked in hell are 100% dross; there is no silver or gold in them to refine (Rom 3:9-18).
2. Fire burns off wood, hay, and stubble (1Co 3:12-15).
3. The wicked are only wood, hay, and stubble, therefore there is no saving them by fire (Mat 3:12).
4. God has always required a burnt offering for sin (Exo 29:14; Lev 5:12).
5. The wicked are the burnt offering for their sin.

4.      Why is the suffering in hell eternal?

1. Fire consumes and destroys (Num 11:1; Num 16:35).
2. The soul and spirit of man is immortal and doesn’t die when the body does (Ecc 3:21; Gen 35:18).
3. Punishment of sinful men doesn’t purge their sin; they just become more sinful.
4. The carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not, nor can be, subject to the law of God (Rom 8:7).
5. The wicked will not seek after God (Psa 10:4).

iii.    The nature of the wicked is unchangeable (Jer 13:23).

1. If favor is shown to them, they won’t change (Isa 26:10).
2. If a fool is severely punished, he will still remain a fool (Pro 27:22).
3. If God scorches them, they will not repent, but will continue to blaspheme God (Rev 16:9-11).
4. Therefore, no amount of punishment in hell would be enough to purge the sin of the wicked, therefore they must be burned forever.