2 Kings 1:16-17a – …“Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron – is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? – therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.
Before the day when we rise from death and enter into God’s Kingdom, the Bible reveals one final day of judgment by fire. The fire that judged and consumed the soldiers of King Ahaziah is a foreshadowing of the White Throne Judgement and sentencing of evildoers to Hell. Just like king Ahaziah and his soldiers were judged with fire, Hell is “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
The person who teaches most about Hell in the Bible is Jesus Christ. In roughly 13% of His teaching, the themes of eternal judgment and Hell are present. Most of Jesus’ teachings about judgment and Hell are in the form of parables, which are little stories that teach big truths. On 11 occasions, Jesus speaks of Hell in terms of Gehenna, which was an accursed and forsaken garbage dump that burned day and night. Jesus used this well-known horrifying sight where atrocities had been committed to refer to Hell in terms of fire, weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Some people wrongly believe that Satan rules Hell. However, when King Jesus returns to put down all kings (like Ahab and Ahaziah), He will sentence evildoers to Hell. Since Jesus is Lord over all, He also rules and reigns in Hell.
Jesus Christ is both Lion and Lamb (Revelation 5:5-6). In Heaven, God’s people experience Him only as Lamb. In Hell, everyone else will experience Him only as Lion.
Revelation 14:10-11 says, “…he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night.”
If you want to learn more about God’s judgment, along with Heaven and Hell, the sermon notes and sermon for “Kingdom: God Reigns” are free at https://www.realfaith.com/sermons/doctrine-11-kingdom-god-reigns/. You can also visit the store to obtain the entire revised theological textbook “Doctrine”.
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