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Five Myths About Hell: #3

by Joe Thorn on August 11, 2010

Myth #3 Hell is Temporary

Among those who take hell a bit more seriously we sometimes find the myth that hell is temporal, and not everlasting. The reasoning is often that hell is punishment for sins committed during at the most several decades, and that justice would prohibit everlasting punishment for crimes committed over the course of an earthly lifetime. After punishment has been met, whatever divine punishment demands, a person is either welcomed into heaven, or simply annihilated.

But, Scripture is pretty clear on the everlasting nature of hell. It is a place of eternal destruction, punishment, and fire. There is no work release program or hope of probation in hell.

We are created as immortal beings and will go on living after death in the presence of God and his grace, or experiencing his just and righteous anger. As incurable, habitual sinners we continue in our sin, lawlessness and idolatry even in hell– and so judgment continues.

Hell is an everlasting judgment, and our only hope of escaping such a curse is by trusting in the One who became a curse for us. Those who are united to Jesus are set free from condemnation and find everlasting life.

About Joe Thorn

I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Saint Charles, IL, and author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself. Jen is my wife, and Katherine, Elias, Madeline and Kilian are my kids.

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  • Ryan

    I downloaded Sunday’s sermon since I wasn’t there in person and listened to it at work.

    I’ve heard the fire and worms are symbolic to how one will feel in the complete absence of God. People will weep because they were not chosen and gnash thier teeth at God in anger for the fact that they were created to begin with.

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  • David Rogers

    “We are created as immortal beings”

    According to 1 Timothy 6:16 it would seem only God possesses immortality essentially.

    “who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

    The redeemed receive “immortality” as a gift from God.

    1 Cor. 15:54 “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.”

    • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

      David,

      In systematic theology we talk about the “immortality of the soul” and typically explain it this way: we are created by God and given immortality, whereas God has immortality in and of himself. This is what I would take 1 Tim. 6:16 to mean. For help with this perspective I would encourage you to read Berkhof, Grudem, or AH Strong (if you prefer someone who isn’t Reformed).

      • David Rogers

        Of course we are given immortality, the key is “when” we are given immortality. The scriptures speak of believers being given immortality as 1 Cor. 15:54 speaks of it, seemingly at the resurrection; there is no scripture that I know of that speaks specifically of unbelievers being given immortality.

        The use of the term “created” is what I find to be questionable. Please advise to scriptural contexts that speak of immortality being given to all when we are “created.”

      • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

        By “immortality” I simply mean what most theologians mean when speaking of humanity, the continued existence of the wicked and the righteous after death. Some passages that are helpful on this are Matt. 11:21-24; 12:41; 25:31-46; Luke 23:43; John 11:25, 14:3; Rom. 2:5-11; 2 Cor. 5:1, 5:10. For more detail pick up just about Systemat’ for a more thorough biblical argument.

        I’ll let you have the last word on this, if you like. Blessings!

      • David Rogers

        I looked at your references most of which refer to believers for whom immortality as specifically referenced (aphtharsia, athanasia) is a gift given seemingly subsequent to redemption in Christ rather than as a condition attached to all human being regardless of redeemed status.

        As one of my professors taught, E. Earle Ellis, those who see in Scripture “immortality of the soul” as a given state for all humans have “their [philosophical] lenses ground in Athens” rather than Jerusalem.

        Thanks for the back and forth.

        Blessings on thee also.

  • http://barrywallace.wordpress.com Barry Wallace

    I like the connection John Piper makes between the infinite worth of God’s glory and the eternal nature of hell:

    “…this awesomely terrible reality is an echo of the glory of God. The Bible assumes that it is a just and righteous recompense to all who sin. And for that to be true, how infinitely valuable and worthy must be the glory of God that sin belittles and scorns! In other words the horror of hell is an echo of the infinite worth of God’s glory.”

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  • http://thevoice403.blogspot.com Sean Rice

    Thanks for this Joe, I’m using this for a blog post on Hell for my website. Thumbs up.

  • http://www.dscomic.com Rob

    The struggle for me, though, is reconciling the idea of eternal torment of hell with passages like Malachi 4 that speak about evil-doers being utter destroyed with “neither a root nor branch” remaining. Nothing about eternal conscience suffering. Likewise, the Apostle Paul in all of his writing never makes any mention of an eternal nature to hell. I wonder if we’re taking the interpretation of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man too far?

  • Chad Guisewite

    If someone lives forever in Hell, do they not have immortal life? In Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus, he says that God sent his son so that all who believe will have Eternal life? I agree with the comment regarding the Hebrew vs the Greek mind.

  • Chad Konkin

    Christ=Eternal Life
    No Christ=Eternal Death/Damnation
    Both Eternal
    Look up the definition of Life.

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