Hell is a very debated issue in today's world. You may ask one person about hell, and he may say, "God is a just God, He wouldn't send anyone to hell." Ask someone else and, if they are bold, they will tell you that, "God has spoken, through His word, that sinners are going to be tormented forever."

You can pursue the question of hell even further and ask different denominations what they teach about hell and you will get more various answers.

If you ask the Jehovah's Witnesses, better known to this writer as the J.W.'s, what they teach about hell, they will explain that hell is "a place where sinners go, but they are not tormented forever, they simply cease existing." The J.W.'s use several verses to try and explain hell away. One of their key verses is Ecclesiastes 9:5, which reads, "For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing. . ." They refer to this verse often to support their beliefs that when sinners die they cease existing.

Let's examine the first six verses of the ninth chapter of Ecclesiastes. Verse 1 begins with the thought that when man dies he must stand before God for what he has done. Verse 2 states that all men, good or bad, have to suffer death, none escape. Verse 3 makes verse 2 easier to understand by stating ". . . and after that they (righteous and sinner) go to the dead." Verse 4 explains to us that there is hope for the living. There is hope in that, if someone is not serving God, they have time to repent, and be immersed for the remission of their sins. Verse 5, (which the J.W.'s use to back up their false doctrine) is not saying that when the sinner dies, he ceases to exist. Verse 5 is saying that when the living die, they no longer have knowledge of death any longer. He/she will live eternally in whatever state he/she is in; either eternal life or eternal punishment. That righteous man or sinner will not have a chance to change their reward that they have received for their deeds done on earth. Verse 6 says that all that they have done when they were alive is over, they simply have no part of anything that is done under the sun.

You may want a second opinion on hell after you talk to the J.W.'s, so you may ask the Mormons about hell. They will explain that there is actually no hell, but rather three types of "Glory" or "kingdoms."

The Mormons teach that there is a low form of "Glory" for liars, adulterers, whoremongers and the like. Then there is a "Glory" or "Kingdom" for people who are good people. These people have accepted the Mormon teachings, but were not married in the Mormon tabernacle, were baptized, were morally good, loyal to the Mormon teachings and always tithed of their money. These people, according to Mormon teachings, will go to the third and greatest "Glory" or "Kingdom," and become a "god" when they die. (It is only those who have been married in the Mormon temple that can become "gods.")

The teachings from the J.W.'s and the Mormons concerning hell, are only two views of hell in a vast ocean of beliefs on this subject. Rather than ask people, or cults like the J.W.'s and Mormons, what they think hell will be like, let's look to the Bible to see what Jesus has to say about hell.

 In the New Testament, Jesus uses the Greek word, "gehenna" which is translated to our English word "hell." The reason for this is that Jerusalem had, in those days, a garbage pit just outside the temple wall where they burned garbage day and night. The fire never ceased. Jesus used this continual burning garbage to describe the eternal destiny of sinners. Examine Matthew 5:29,30: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

If there were no such place as hell, would Jesus say that it is better to cut off your right arm than to go to some place that doesn't exist? Jesus believed and taught of a place of eternal punishment for those who disobey God's Word.

If there were no such place as hell, we might think much like the Apostle Paul when he was writing to the Corinthians about a future resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:32, he wrote, ". . . let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die." If there were no hell, but different levels of "Glory," wouldn't we also think, ". . . let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die?"

Ephesians 5:5 states, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." We already know that the kingdom is the Church, so any of the above mentioned persons have no inheritance in the Church. The eventual outcome of not becoming a part of the Church is eternal punishment in hell.

Revelation 21:8 also lists some people that will go to hell, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." It isn't a very happy thought to think that some people are going to hell, but we must realize that hell is a reality. It is our responsibility, as Christians, to teach the gospel to everyone that we can reach.

Even though hell is a reality, there is a way to escape this awful tormenting place. The Bible teaches that those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; repents of their sins; confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; are immersed in water (baptized) for the remission of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and arise to walk in a newness of life; and being faithful until death, shall escape the pits of hell. This is the only way to escape this place of eternal fire.

Matthew 7:13,14 teaches us that many will find the road that leads to destruction, and only a few will find the road that goes to eternal life. Let us never stop teaching about the reality of hell and the only means of escape.

When men speak ill of you, live so that nobody will believe them.

Bad habits are like a comfortable bed; easy to get into, but hard to get out of.

When you lie dying, you will find little comfort in counting the hypocrites in the church.

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