Did Jesus really teach that there is an everlasting place of judgment called "Hell"?

(by Neil Bishop)

Great question... we're glad you asked! And instead of answering it with our own personal beliefs, we'd like to take this opportunity to allow Jesus Himself to answer this question. After all, if He is the Creator of all things, as the Bible clearly teaches, then He would know if He created Hell, and if so, He would be qualified to tell us what this place is like, and who goes there. 

Now, before considering what Jesus has to say on this subject, we'd like to suggest that you have three options regarding this teaching:

1) You can totally disregard and disbelieve what Jesus has clearly taught. Nobody can force you to believe Him, not even God Himself. 

2) You can deny that Jesus actually taught these things concerning Hell. However, if you choose this option, you must go against the thousands of manuscripts that clearly show Jesus did, in fact, say these words. In other words, you must deny the clear evidence that Jesus actually did teach these things. 

3) You can agree with the evidence that Jesus did, in fact, teach these things, and even though you have a hard time understanding them, you can trust that Jesus knew what He was talking about. 

That being said, here's many of Jesus' teachings on Hell:

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says 'You fool!' will be liable to the Hell of fire" (Matthew 5:22).

"For it is better for you to lose one of your members than that your whole body go into Hell" (Matthew 5:30).

"But the children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). 

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Hell" (Matthew 10:28)

"It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire" (Matthew 18:9). 

"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to Hell?" (Matthew 23:33). 

"Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). 

"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:46). 

"...the fire is not quenched... the fire that never shall be quenched..." (see Mark 9:43-48). 

It is clearly seen, in the words of Jesus, that Hell is real, that many will go there, and that it is a place of everlasting punishment. 

Let's look at a few other Bible teachings that shed more light on "why" it is people will go there and "what" Hell actually is:

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the condemnation: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:17-19)

We see "why" people are "condemned", that is, because they reject God's salvation. They would rather remain in their sin, than repent and receive God's mercy and grace that He so freely gives through Jesus Christ. God gives people this choice. In other words, Hell not only shows God's wrath, but it also reveals that He is a loving God... how? Because Hell is what many people CHOOSE, and a loving God allows people to have what they want, rather than forcing Himself on people. So people are condemned because they choose to remain in their sin, thus they are separated from God. 

"...the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, AWAY FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD and from the glory of His might..." (see Second Thessalonians 1:7-12).

We see in this passage that Hell is a place of complete separation from the presence of the Lord. In other words, Hell is a place where God is NOT.  God is light, therefore, Hell is a place without light (utter darkness). God is love, therefore, there is no love in Hell.  God is the God of true peace and joy, therefore, Hell is a place without peace and joy. God is the God of all comfort, therefore, there will be no comfort in Hell, etc.

What a terrible place Hell actually is! It's hard to believe that people despise God so much that they would rather go there than to be in His presence (which is what Heaven really is, that is, to be in the complete presence of Jesus Christ). 

Do you know FOR SURE that you're on the road to Heaven? Jesus said "unless you repent, you will perish" and "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Have you repented? Have you been "born again?"  This is the only way to avoid the Judgement of God. God is love, and He does not wish Hell on anybody! This is why He sent Jesus Christ, who took death and Hell upon Himself (He took upon Himself the judgment of God), and died in YOUR place!  Repent and trust in Him today!

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whovever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36)