Descriptions of judgment and hell

Revelation 14:10-11 (NIV)

…..he will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name. 

Matthew 13:41:42 (NIV)

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The majority of people, when asked about the reality of heaven and hell, believe that there is a heaven but do not believe that there is a hell.  Even recognizing the possibility of a place called hell, there is apathy amongst people about it applying to oneself.  I remember talking to a man one day about his need for salvation.  He flat out told me, “Mike, I know that I’m going to hell and I don’t care”.  Words from a foolish soul, to be sure, but yet so many people have this attitude.  Either they are unaware of Biblical statements like these and others that describe the unspeakable suffering in hell, or they do not believe that such statements are true.  One huge problem for many people, including Christians, is selective belief, i.e. some parts of the Scriptures they believe and other parts they do not.  Might this describe you?

A couple of aspects of hell described in Rev 14:10-11 that I had not thought much about before are the smell and the lack of rest.  Do you know what burning sulfur smells like?  Think of rotting garbage, even rotting flesh, and that’s what it smells like.  When “Saving Private Ryan” made so many people realize the horror of the June 6, 1944 allied invasion of Normandy, survivors of D-Day said that the one major thing missing was the smell of war and death.  The lack of rest also is a horrible thing to think about.  The next time you have not had enough sleep and you are exhausted, imagine feeling exhausted forever. 

What about the phrase that Jesus used several times, “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”?  Think of gnashing of teeth like the snarling of an animal as it is about to bite.  People in hell will be attacking each other just like people on earth who do not live by the principles of God are prone to attack one another, physically or psychologically. People living in heaven will help one another, not attack each other. 

The difference between people in heaven and people in hell may be best described by the familiar story of a noted theologian who died and met St. Peter.  Before entering heaven, he asked St. Peter to see hell.  So St. Peter took the theologian to a great banquet hall where the banquet table was loaded with the finest in food and drink. But the people milling around the great hall were naked, dirty, unshaven, and emaciated. They were clearly starving.  Shocked, the theologian asked why.  "Easy," said St. Peter, "they have no elbows. They can grab the food, but they can’t get it to their mouth. Neither can they wash, dress themselves, cut or comb their hair, shave, or scratch where it itches. Just try doing any of those things without bending your arms." 

Then St. Peter whisked him to heaven to another banquet.  The facilities were the same, the food was the same, even the decorations were the same. But the people were well-dressed, immaculately groomed, and obviously well-fed and happy. The sounds of singing, conversation, and laughter filled the room.  "I see," said the theologian, "this incredible difference in the people is because here in heaven they have elbows."  "No," said St. Peter, "they don’t have elbows here either. There are no elbows in the afterlife. The difference is that in heaven people take care of each other. They wash each other, dress each other, and feed each other. And they scratch each other where it itches. You don’t need elbows in heaven.” 

"But why are there no elbows in the afterlife?" "Ah," explained St. Peter, "elbows were never part of God’s master plan for humanity. They were given to us while on earth so we could survive the selfishness around us.  Babies don’t need elbows.  Parents washed us, clothed us, and fed us.  Elbows are a little selfish indulgence we are allowed, but we’re supposed to outgrow it.  The people in hell are trapped in their selfishness and their pride in their independence. They never learned to care for others and to let others care for them. But the people here in heaven have the antidote to that.  It’s called ‘love.’  They have learned to give it and accept it." 


Although just a fictitious story, it does make you stop and reflect, right?  You need to decide if you believe in God's judgment at the end, and whether there is a heaven and a hell, and, if so, where are you headed?  If headed toward hell, as long as you can read this, you still have time to make a change in your direction.  You need the Lord to take over.  Simply ask Him.  You cannot control where others are headed but you can tell them about the Lord.