Is Hell a Real Place?

When you look at the statistics, you’ll find that a much higher percentage of people believe in heaven than in hell. This is interesting because the Bible clearly tells us that hell is indeed a very real place. In contrast to heaven being the place where believers go after death, hell is the place where the unbelieving spend eternity. The Bible tells us this explicitly in many places, wanting us to understand the weight of the choice we have to make.

Jesus warned us about hell. He held back no punches in order for us to understand how serious it truly is. In Mark 9:43-48, He says, “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”

That sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? Instead of letting that fear drive you to unbelief that hell is actually real, let it motivate you to live your life in a way pleasing to God, so you can spend eternity in His presence instead. The way we live our lives is important, as the choice to follow Jesus or not will end up dictating our eternal destiny. That’s why the Bible warns us so sternly about the realities of hell. 

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about what will happen on the day of judgment to come. He says that He will separate the believers from the unbelievers. He will thank the believers for all the ways they served Him through serving others, and send them off to their eternal home in heaven. But for the unbelievers, Jesus says, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me” (Matthew 25:41-43).

What Does the Bible Say About Hell?

2 Thessalonians 1:9 reads, “They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.” If we choose eternity in hell by not following Christ in this life, we will no longer experience the power, presence, and blessings of God. Those who wind up in hell have chosen to cast away God from their lives, a choice that will lead to their eternal separation from God. If we want to experience God’s goodness and love in eternity, we must choose it in this life as well. If we wait until we are cast into hell, it will simply be too late. 

Revelation 14:10-11 describes the horrors and hell: “They will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” These descriptions are not there to make us afraid of God, but rather to help us to understand the importance of following Christ in this life and what we are choosing if we do not. God is perfect and just. If we do not choose to follow Christ, we are simply choosing this future for ourselves. 

Even the Scriptures of the Old Testament speak to the reality of hell. Daniel 12:2 reads, “Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.” Hell will be torture in every way. Not only physically, but we will also experience the mental anguish of shame and disgrace that we can never move past. 

Is Hell Eternal?

Yes, hell is eternal. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus clearly states, “Then they [believers] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Just as believers experience the joys of heaven for all eternity, so too do unbelievers experience the torment of hell forever. It is not something one can escape from or avoid if they do not accept the free gift of salvation offered by Christ in this life. 

Conclusion

Through the wisdom of God’s Word, we can know without a shadow of a doubt that hell is real. Hell is the ultimate destination for those who have chosen to forsake God in this life. They will never know the perfect, loving eternity that is heaven. With that knowledge, we all have a choice to make: will we choose Christ in this life, leading to heaven in the next? Or will we forsake Him, choosing the eternal torment of hell instead? The choice is one we all must make.