Good News About Hell!

I’ve recently landed on a place of belief regarding hell; what it is, where it is, and what it is for.  For the first time in my life, I have peace, confidence, and even comfort on the whole topic of hell.  Wait… comfort??  We’re talking about hell, right?

Yes, dear reader, you read correctly; comfort.  God is much better than we think or often believe.  He’s also bigger.  Like, WAY bigger.  We have no idea of the far-reaching implications of the Gospel, and His love, O sweet love!! 

First, let’s clarify a bit on hell.  Did you know there are a variety of words and phrases in the Bible associated with what most of us know as hell, and even differing words with differing meanings or context that are translated using the same word, ‘hell’?  ‘Hell’ is frequently a catch-all word used in some English translations of the Bible, and, as a result, we sometimes get the wrong impression or idea of what was being communicated by the original texts. 

‘Sheol’, ‘Hades’, ‘Abraham’s Side (or Abraham’s Bosom)’, death, the lake of fire, the second death, the bottomless pit, the sea, the pit, the deep, ‘Gehenna’ (or ‘The Valley of Hinnom’), outer darkness; these are all terms found within the Bible that are commonly associated with, translated as, or personified in such a way to communicate some sort of concept or image of what most of us westerners think of as ‘hell’.  There is a rich amount of context, imagery, truth, and revelation lost when lumping all these terms together into the typical concept of hell as commonly portrayed throughout most Protestant denominations, especially within American fundamentalist evangelical Christianity.  

Frequently, images are conjured up of a fiery kingdom infested with demons, ruled over by satan; the final destination of unrepentant sinners who have an eternity of torment, torture, and suffering awaiting them.  I believe this portrayal of hell could not possibly be further from the truth.  Even the doctrine of annihilation is decidedly more pleasant than what most western evangelicals believe about hell and how hell relates to mankind.  Yet, I suspect annihilation misses the mark as well. 

For the sake of discussion, I am going to focus on the ‘end game’ picture of what many of us associate with hell; the lake of fire.  As revealed in The Revelation Of Jesus Christ (ref: Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 20:14-15, 21:8), the lake of fire is frequently understood as the final destination of satan, the ‘beast’, the ‘false prophet’, and any of those unfortunate souls who earned an after-lifetime of frying in their own fat for all eternity (hint: the title of this book in the Bible should be a major clue as to the nature of hell and how we misunderstand it).  Hence, when I refer to ‘hell’ in the remainder of this post, I am referring to the lake of fire. 

So! Moving on…

Where is hell, exactly, and just who-in-the-hell made hell, anyway?  I can tell you where hell is not; it’s not outside the presence of God!  Some folks rely on 2 Thessalonians 1:9 as a proof-text to support the idea that hell is eternal separation from God.  As John Crowder likes to say, nobody gets that much privacy!  There’s some potential translational issues with 2 Thessalonians 1:9 that may contribute to a significant misunderstanding regarding hell, but we’ll come back to that later.  

I can also tell you who did not create hell; satan.  Hell is not the kingdom of the devil.  Hell is not a kingdom, period.  The idea of heaven vs. hell is a false dichotomy.  Most of what us westerners believe about hell is propped upon binary thinking influenced by a couple millennia of Greco-western rationalistic, linear thought conditioning.  As a result, we frequently perceive things as ‘either/or’ instead of ‘both/and’.

That’s all fine and good, you may find yourself thinking, but I still didn’t answer the questions I myself posed… Well, let’s see what scripture has to offer!  We find the answer to the previous questions of where and who to be found in a Person; Jesus Christ! 

“In the beginning [before all time] was the Word [Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.  He was present originally with God.  All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.” ~ John 1:1-3 (AMP)

“For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him (by His service, intervention) and in and for Him.  And He Himself existed before all things and in Him all things consist – cohere, are held together.” ~ Colossians 1:16-17 (AMP)

“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” ~ Hebrews 1:3 (AMP) 

You see, even hell was created through Jesus Christ, exists in Him, and for Him; He has purpose for hell (and… surprise!  It’s not for torturing His kids).  The very fabric of hell, so to speak, is held together in Jesus Christ, and it’s very existence and function are upheld by the word of His power.  

Further, there isn’t anywhere we can go where we are outside of Jesus Christ; that place just doesn’t exist.  Even David intrinsically knew that the presence of the Lord could not be escaped:

“Where can I go from Thy Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Thy Presence?  If I ascend to heaven, Thou are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me.” ~ Psalm 139:7-10 (AMP)

David knew that even if he went down to Sheol; death, the grave (and sometimes translated or equated to ‘hell’), God Himself would be there, and would even lead him out of that place!  

So… what is hell?  As mentioned earlier, we’re looking at the final, ultimate, ‘end game’ portrait of ‘hell’ as the lake of fire (ref: Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 20:14-15, 21:8).  We also know that hell exists in, through, and for Jesus Christ.  Let’s take another peek in the Bible for further clarity on the ‘what’ of hell:

“‘Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]?’ says the Lord…” ~ Jeremiah 23:29 (AMP)

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” ~ Deuteronomy 4:24 (AMP)

“For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.” ~ Hebrews 12:29 (AMP) 

Starting to see the correlation here?  The very fire of hell itself is God! 

Now, if God is love (and we know that He is, ref: 1 John 4:8, 4:16), then what does that tell you about the fire of hell and the purpose that He has in it?  What indeed is the purpose of this Love that burns so passionately hot, so jealously, that it consumes everything that cannot withstand its flame? 

Let’s jump back into the Bible and find out!  We first see the lake of fire mentioned in Revelation 19:20.  The ‘beast’ and the ‘false prophet’ (whatever they are) have been tossed into the lake of fire at this point.  Skipping forward to 20:10, the devil joins his two pals in the lake of fire.  

We then move on to the final judgment at the throne of God.  All the dead are judged according to their deeds [their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors (AMP)] in this scene.  Then, death and Hades [Hebrew; Sheol {the state of death or disembodied existence} (AMP)] are thrown into the lake of fire.  This is significant.  Death itself is consumed by the fiery love of God.  No.more.death. 

Following the death of death, those whose names were not found written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire.  Now, keep in mind, death has already died, which means those tossed into this fiery lake do not encounter death.  This essentially rules out the doctrine of annihilation.  

So what, then?  Eternal conscious torment?  Hmm… not very consistent with ‘God is love’, is it?  I believe God has a better plan for His kids; even the really naughty ones, and, hence, here we enter into the purpose of hell.  

To begin, we know that the last enemy to be destroyed is death (ref: 1 Corinthians 15:26).  If death is the last enemy, then we know that the folks getting tossed into the lake of fire are not enemies of God.

If we backtrack in 1 Corinthians, we come across another picture of Judgment Day in chapter 3.  Beginning in verse 13, we see that each person will have their works judged; disclosed and declared, as revealed and tested by fire.  If those works are burned up under this test by fire, that person will suffer the loss of those works and any associated reward, but will be saved as by fire (KJV); as one who has passed through the flames (AMP); as one escaping through the flames (NIV). 

And there it is. The purpose. 

I believe the purpose of ‘hell’ (the lake of fire) is one of salvation; not that this is an alternate method of salvation compared to the finished work and inclusion of all mankind in Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected.  Rather, I see the lake of fire as the fiery, all-consuming love of God, (existent in, through, and for Jesus Christ) which burns away every ounce of ‘self’; dead works, unbelief, religion, anything that would stand in opposition to the love of God, and anything that would stand in opposition of His kids receiving His love; the revelation of perfect union they have with Papa in Jesus Christ… a union that has existed since before the foundation of the world, a union that existed even at the same time those kids were believing the illusion of separation.  The second death is the death of any stubborn ‘self’, any lie that one may refuse to let go of, that interferes with the participation and enjoyment of union with God. 

I see the lake of fire as, essentially, Jesus, and Him not taking “no” for an answer from His beloved creation; a final cleansing, healing means by which His most resistant, stubborn, naughty kids may realize and receive of the perfect Oneness of union they have with Him, in Him, through Him, and the participation and enjoyment of that union by no means or effort of their own.  I see the lake of fire as, for lack of a better word, a final ‘extension’ of the Gospel, so to speak. 

So… there you have it; the Good News about hell!  

But wait… what about that pesky separation verse in 2 Thessalonians 1:9?  Well, the Greek word ‘apo’ in this text can be translated “away from” as well as “that comes from”, so it’s quite possible (perhaps even likely) that translation bias has influenced some English translations in order to keep with the theme of hell being in a state of separation from God.  2 Thessalonians 1:9 reads distinctly different when translating ‘apo’ as “that comes from”, and seems to fit quite well in the context of the rest of the information and thoughts presented here.  

However, let’s say you want to be a translation stickler and stay with the “away from” separation-promo version of this verse.  This too can be reconciled while remaining consistent.  

If we jump back into Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, we see this vision of the new heaven and earth, and the new Jerusalem.  There’s a ton of interesting points in these chapters, but I’ll try to stay on track.  

We know that there is no temple in the new Jerusalem because Jesus and our Father are the temple in this city (ref: 21:22).  We also know that outside the new city are all the impure (extreme paraphrase here) who may not yet enter it (ref: 22:15).  There you have it.  There’s your 2 Thessalonians 1:9 ‘separation’ if you absolutely have to have it, but you’re only getting it on a technicality at best. 

In this sense, you could say that the impure are outside the city (separated), getting purged in the lake of fire, being ‘saved as through fire’; that they may enter the gates which are never shut (ref: 21:25), drink freely of the water of life (ref: 21:6, 22:17), and experience complete healing (ref: 22:2).  

However, even in all this, separation from God, as it always has been, is an illusion, for the lake of fire, ‘hell’, exists within Jesus.  He’s the one holding it all together.  

You see, the Gospel is so much better, so much further reaching, than we ever could have imagined.  The mercy of God extends to all.  None are left out in this deal, even if it means going through hell.  ‘Jesus loves you’ means soooo much more than we ever thought possible!!  Glory! 

*Major credit goes to The History of Hell by Mark Edward for sorting out so many of the names/personifications of hell in the Bible.*

*Special thanks to John Crowder for his insight on the potential translation issue in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.  Check out his book, Cosmos Reborn, for even more fascinating insights into the finished work of the cross, and the redemption of all creation.  Lotta glory on this book!*

The thorn in the flesh…

The proverbial thorn in the flesh… As Christians, I think that many, if not most, of us have identified (if not currently identify) with the concept of having a thorn in our flesh.  Perhaps your thorn is a devilish, persistent temptation that constantly keeps you on the edge of teetering over the cliff into sin… or perhaps your thorn is a deeply rooted issue of a very specific sin; a seeming quagmire of iniquity that you just cannot seem to escape.

Perhaps your thorn is a weakness, whether it be physical, mental, emotional…

Or an illness…

Or a chronic disease…

Or an impairment of some sort…

Or… (fill in the blank).

The apostle Paul introduced the Church in Corinth to his own thorn in his flesh.  In 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 7, Paul writes, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” (NIV)

The Amplified version goes into even greater detail in relating the effects of which this thorn should have in Paul, “…to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep from being excessively exalted.” (AMP)

Harsh words, and a harsh concept.

Paul goes on to say in verses 8 through 9, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”‘ (NIV)

If we jump back to earlier verses in 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, we learn that Paul was caught up to the third Heaven.  In the midst of this experience as well as afterward, Paul had no idea whether he was encountering the Heavenly realm in the physical or only in the spiritual.  While in Paradise, Paul heard things he was not allowed to repeat.

The abundance, the preeminence, the absolutely superiority and sheer magnitude of the revelations imparted to Paul during this experience were so exceedingly great that Paul received a thorn in his flesh to keep him from “exalting himself (NASB), from “being puffed up and too much elated” (AMP), from “becoming conceited” (NIV), from being “exalted above measure” (KJV).

Can we even begin to imagine what Paul might have experienced and heard while in Paradise?  As I ponder this question, I cannot help but quote King David, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” ~ Psalm 139:6 (NASB)

… And here in lies a problem; the problem, if you will, which I believe to be that we have built a doctrine out of Paul’s thorn; a doctrine that is actually a prison for those who have been set free in Christ Jesus.  This doctrine is a fool’s errand, one that I have gone on many times myself.  Essentially, we read (or are taught) about Paul’s thorn, and then translate Paul’s thorn into our own experiences, presuming (or being taught) that because Paul had a thorn in his flesh, it must be appropriate, perhaps even necessary, or at the very least relevant that we too will or even must bear a thorn in our own flesh.

To state it as simply as I know how, we believe that since Paul’s thorn is in the Bible, and since the Bible is authoritative, then this concept and even experience must be applicable to us as well.

I propose that this is a twisting and a manipulation of Scripture, one that if left unchecked, will lead to our own destruction (cf. 2 Peter 3:16).  Let us not be found among the ignorant and unstable people that Peter speaks about; those who have difficulty in understanding Paul’s letters, and therefore distort Paul’s writings to their own destruction.

Paul had a very unique, very specific experience that carried with it a very specific set of consequences.  Paul’s thorn is exactly that; Paul’s thorn.  There is much teaching and much conjecture about what Paul’s thorn specifically was.  The details are really beside the point, which is why I believe, at least in part, that Paul did not reveal the specific details of his thorn.

Paul knew exactly why he received a thorn in his flesh.  He knew exactly the source and the nature of his thorn.  He knew exactly the purpose and the extremely specific function of his thorn.

How many of us can say the same about the thorns that we claim to have in our flesh?

Beloved brother or sister in Christ, if you feel that you’ve been given a thorn in your flesh, and even more so if you’re claiming a thorn in your flesh with no actual revelation of having been given a thorn, I admonish you to prayerfully seek the Lord in this matter.

If you are a “thorn-bearer”, please take the time and make some space to ask the Holy Spirit if you have indeed received a thorn in your flesh.  If He says, “yes”, then continue to seek His counsel and wisdom.  Ask Him why you’ve received this thorn, what is the nature and source of this thorn, what is the purpose and function of this thorn, and how will He be most glorified through you bearing this thorn if it indeed has been divinely imparted to you by the Lord.

While I cannot affirm either in the positive or the negative that the Lord gives anyone besides Paul a thorn in their flesh, I do believe that most of the experiences we as believers have with bearing thorns in our flesh are rooted in sin reinforced by misunderstanding and misapplication of Scripture.

For many of us, it’s far easier to empower sin to remain in our lives by labeling a sin issue as a thorn in our flesh rather than face the sin, deny the sin any power or place in our lives, repent, and pursue holy living.  Paul didn’t receive a thorn because he was in sin; he received a thorn to prevent sin.

Christ came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and to release the oppressed (cf. Luke 4:18).

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” ~ Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

“…He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” ~ 1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)

“…His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness…” ~ Isaiah 52:14 (NIV)

Beloved, Jesus Christ bore thorns so that you wouldn’t have to!  Allow the surpassing greatness of this revelation to wash over you.

Let us not be found so prideful, so arrogant to align ourselves with Paul in bearing a thorn without our own experience lining up with Paul’s experience of exceedingly great revelation given in Paradise.  It is this experience that justifies thorn-bearing.

Let us not be found so foolish as to empower sin in our lives under the guise of bearing a thorn in our flesh.  Let us not be found misunderstanding Paul’s words, twisting and distorting Scripture to our own destruction.

Let us instead encounter and experience His mercy; His tender loving-kindness which leads us to repentance.

If you’re claiming a thorn, stop.  Break that off in the mighty name of Jesus.  Do not give sin a place in your life.  Repent.  Pursue holy living.  Christ has empowered us to do so.  He died and then rose again for us to do so.