Fire Feels Like Hell || What the…? || Part 6

Welcome back to the “What the…?” Bible study, a series designed to investigate the different and often misunderstood concepts of HellHell. Using the Old and New Testaments, we dive into three journeys to examine Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna (different descriptors of Hell) to see if what the Bible says and what we’re taught align.

Today, we’re wrapping up our study on Hades. We understood this place to be a middle ground between Heaven and Hell. A place of pressure that forces all spirits to reflect on their wrongs and sins. We learned that the church’s strength comes into play to overcome Hades. A way for a community of believers to come together, strengthen each other, lift each other up, and build the fortress of God’s house stronger.

Now, we’re heading to the book of Revelation (you’ve been waiting on this one, I feel) to talk about how Hades is a place to send the dead and cast them into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:13-14 says this:

Revelation 20:13-14

AMP	NLT	VOICE
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades [the realm of the dead] who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, everyone one according to their deeds.	13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.	13 And the sea surrendered its dead. Death and hades gave up their dead as well. And all were judged according of their works.
14 Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God].	14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.	14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Before I share my notes on this passage, I had a revelation here. When those who died (in Sheol) and those who were in Hades (in purgatory) are judged according to their works and are sentenced to their respective realms (the lake of fire or heaven or somewhere in between), the places of Death and Hades are also destroyed. There’s no need for the place of the dead or the spirit because the Lake of Fire is that place of permanent, eternal separation from God. Knowing what we know about Sheol and Hades, we’re beginning to see an order to the systems here.

Also, this blog may focus less on Hades and more on the Lake of Fire, but we’ll see as we progress.

Death and the grave are thrown into the lake of fire. God completes his judgment. The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked – Satan, the Beast, the false prophet, the demons, the death, and the grave, and all those whose names aren’t recorded in the Book of Life because they didn’t place their faith in Jesus. The Book of Life records those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior; their names are written in it. John’s vision doesn’t show any gray areas regarding God’s judgment. If by faith we have not identified with Christ, confessing him as Lord, we will face the same fate.

We can fall into the category of those names that aren’t recorded in the Book of Life. Our names get written in that book when we commit to following Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We receive God’s salvation and are rescued from the eternal lake of fire. We need to keep our faith in Christ. The end goal is paradise in heaven. The short-term successes are living on earth, which brings honor and glory to God, compassion to their neighbors, and sharing a testimony that involves how God had impacted their lives.

The rise to the place of heaven is described in Isaiah 26:19.

Isaiah 26:19

AMP	NLT	VOICE
19 Your dead will live; Their dead bodies will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy! For your dew is a dew of [celestial] light [heavenly, supernatural], And the earth will give birth to the spirits of the dead.	19 But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!	19 But your dead will live; their lifeless bodies will rise up again! You who sleep in the dust, get up and shout for joy! The dew of a new day will wash you glistening fresh, and the earth will push forth those who had passed before.

Some of us say there’s no life after death. Others say there is, but it’s not a physical life. Isaiah shows us that our bodies will be resurrected. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 that all believers will rise with new, imperishable bodies like Jesus did when he was resurrected. This means that our bodies will be transformed into a perfect, eternal form, free from the limitations and decay of our current bodies. Isaiah isn’t the only Old Testament to speak about this, either. Once our earthly bodies are done, we will find ourselves in these resurrected forms. Our resurrected forms will face those discernments mentioned in Revelation 20 to see whether our place will be in heaven, Hades, Sheol, or the Lake of Fire.

The judgment mentioned will take us to Matthew 16:27.

Matthew 16:27

AMP	NLT	VOICE
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.	27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.	27 The Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory, with His heavenly messenger, and then He will reward each person for what he has done.

Jesus has the authority to judge all the earth. Although His judgment is already working on our lives, a future and final judgment awaits us when he returns, in which everyone’s lives will be reviewed and evaluated. Their eternal destiny is secure, but Jesus will review how they handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities to determine their heavenly rewards. God will deliver the righteous and condemn the wicked at the time of judgment. We’re not to judge, for that is God’s job. Jesus will see how we handled our gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities. God will discern that judgment to see if we are delivered into heaven or sent into Sheol/Lake of Fire. This makes me realize this kind of order of systems so far (this might change by Part 9, but hang with me):

• When we pass, we’ll all go to Hades—a place of discernment and work towards righteousness.
• Those who believe and God judges rightly will head to heaven.
• Those who believe and God judges harshly will head to Sheol.
• Those who don’t believe but God judges rightly will head to heaven.
• Those who don’t believe but God judges harshly will head to the Lake of Fire.

That fourth line seems off, but if we look at the judgment process here, plus the story and lesson we learned in Part 4, there’s a chance for sinners to get their hearts right in Hades to find redemption in God. This makes sense to me with confidence about how deep and meaningful God’s judgment process is. I think John 5:28-29 talks about the rebellious and their resurrection:

John 5:28-29

AMP	NLT	VOICE
28 Do not be surprised at this; for a time is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear His voice,	28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,	28 If this sounds amazing to you, what is even more amazing is that when the time comes, those buried long ago will hear His voice through all the rocks, said, and soil
29 and they will come out – those who did evil things [will come out] to a resurrection of judgment [that is, to be sentenced].	29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.	29 and step out of decay into resurrection. When his hour arrives, those who did good will be resurrected to life, and those who did evil will be resurrected to judgment.

This passage from John confirms my understanding of the structure I listed above. Those who did good will find their resurrection in eternal life. Believing in Christ and cemented in the Lamb’s Book of Life is that 100% process to receive eternal life. Yet, those who do good but don’t commit to following God also have that place in eternal life. Believers who committed evil find themselves in the place of the dead. Still, those who didn’t believe and committed to evil lifestyles will be cast into the Lake of Fire. This feels organized, meaningful, and not as scary as the familiar imagery of Hell we see today. We’ll find more of that imagery in the last three parts of this series when we look at the place of Gehenna. Until then, stay blessed.