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| Pitch black of the outer darkness of hell |
I have a couple of questions perplexing enough which I picked up during the Bible Study. I hope you can help me here.
1. Was hell created by God?
2. When was hell created? Together with the rest of creation before the fall or after the fall?
3. Does God rule hell? Just as often we describe God as King of Heaven. If God is the ruler of hell, is He not then King of hell ( I have no intention to be disrespectful of God ), as I learned today that God rules hell also.
4. Also related to hell, the pastor mentioned there are several degree of punishment in hell. If more sins are committed or more heinous sins are committed on earth, the punishment is more severe.
I hope to have biblical basis for the four questions and stand ready to learn- as these notions were the first time in my entire life I learn about them. Please help
Thank you
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Dear Brother,
My apology for a delayed response. Like you said, these are perplexing questions with serious implications and I needed some time to think and search through the Scriptures. When I first read the questions I do have some distinct impression, but I wanted to be sure myself. I sounded out the questions with some other students of God's word. The exchanges are quite interesting... some ideas you may have heard expressed at the Bible study. I will compile the exchanges, you can read through them after reading the gist here.
I am glad that you picked up those questions during the Bible study. I am always delighted when my people form questions in their mind. It troubles me when my people have no questions on the subject being studied!
Please find some thoughts following each questions. Please feel free to ask further questions... we will search the Scriptures together and be more instructed on the subject.
1. Was hell created by God?
a. First it is important to know exactly what the question is asking.
- I am assuming that the question is asking whether hell was created by God like the heaven and earth were created by God in the beginning. That would be very different from asking whether hell is the consequence of God's judicial pronouncement against sin.
- Then we need to make sure what is meant by hell. The word 'hell' is used in quite many different ways in the Scriptures. I am assuming that the question meant 'hell' as that eternal, conscious state and place of separation from God, prepared and designed by God as a place of just, deserved punishment for the wicked. That's how hell is commonly understood.
- [The Scriptures does indicate that "hell" is quite distinct from the "lake of fire." "Hell" is the holding place for the spirit of the dead between death and resurrection. After the judgment day, it is the lake of fire for eternity." See Rev 20:11-15.]
- I will speak of hell as it is popularly understood, i.e the place of eternal torment for the wicked, those whose name were not written in the book of life.
b. With that in mind, when I read the question my first reaction was, 'why did hell need to be created by God?'
- I was thinking, hell is the product and result of sins that separates angels and men from God. I understand hell as a state of being separated from God, as the wages of sin, i.e. earned and brought about by sin. When there was no sin, there was no need or place for hell! It seems to me that it is sin that 'created' hell; it is sin that brought forth that separation from God, a judicial condemnation upon sin.
What's the biblical reasons behind those thoughts?
i. We read the plainest declaration in Gen 1:31, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
There is a so-called 'logic' that goes this way: God created 'every thing', and there is hell, therefore God must have created hell too. However they would not apply the same 'logic' and conclude, 'there is devil, therefore God created the devil too'! Therein lies the fallacy of their so called 'logic.'
And 'every thing' in that wonderful declaration would certainly include hell, IF - IF - IF hell was indeed created by God. Therefore, if hell was indeed created by God, then hell must be among every thing that God pronounced as VERY GOOD. This not only make no sense to a sound mind, it also sounds blasphemous to a god fearing heart! If there is biblical evidence that hell was a creation of God, I have not seen it. I would like to be shown the evidence of such claim.
ii. I believe we have no biblical evidence of God creating outside of the six days of creation. "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." He rested from ALL his work which he has made. If hell was indeed created by God, then hell must be created together with every thing else that was created by God in the creation week.
Some would respond, "Ok, hell was not created during the creation week, but God could have created it afterward." Well, the passage says, God rested from ALL His work of creation. To say that God created hell outside the creation week is contradicting that plain declaration. They who differ may wish to offer some biblical evidence.
2. When was hell created? Together with the rest of creation before the fall or after the fall?
a. From the above, it is concluded that hell was not a creation of God. It is not part of God's creative work. It is no part of God's work of creation. So it is a moot question! But there is hell. So how did hell come about?
There is a simple question in the catechism that goes like this: 'How does God execute his decrees?' The answer goes this way, "God executes his decrees in the works of creation and providence.' Another related question, 'What are God's works of providence?' Answer: God's works of providence are, His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions."
Why do I quote these two questions? To show that hell DID NOT come under God's work of creation; but comes under the purview of God's works of providence. Hell is part of God's works of providence - i.e. His most holy, wise and powerful governing and dealing with the wicked creatures!
God did not create hell. Hell is the ultimate evil the wicked creatures brought upon the themselves in God's providential dealing with them. Scriptures say, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Wages is what the wicked earned and deserved.
Death here is contrasted to eternal life, and it is eternal death, i.e. eternal separation from God, which is really the essence of hell. God in His works of providence, did prepare the wages of sin, i.e. hell, that conscious state and place of eternal separation from God, for the wicked. Hell is the deserved payment prepared by God for the wicked. And that preparation displayed the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God.
Matthew 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
He most certainly did prepare everlasting fire for the devil and his angels. Everlasting fire is the nature of the punishment in hell. It is not the same as hell, that "conscious state and place of separation from God, designed by God as a place of just, deserved punishment for the wicked."
If hell was created, then it was created before there was no devil and his angels (they were good angels before they rebelled). It is obvious that the preparation took place when the devil and his angels already existed, i.e. AFTER the rebellion of some angels had taken place.
Also, rebellion of the devil and his angels took place before the fall took place in the garden of Eden. And what was prepared for the devil and his angels, is equally suited for those whose allegiance is unto the devil and his angels.
3. Does God rule hell? Just as often we describe God as King of Heaven. If God is the ruler of hell, is He not then King of hell ( I have no intention to be irrespectful of God ), as I learned today God rules hell also.
If by 'does God rule hell' you mean whether God exercises full jurisdiction and sovereignty over hell, then I would answer in the affirmative. And hell shall stay the way God has prepared it, and those for whom God has prepared it shall surely inhabit it, and for as long as God has determined it. Hell will not be the way man or the devil imagine it, or change it. None have any say about their stay in hell, or the changes they want to make to it. God is the ruler over all things that exist in His creation... and that includes hell.
Jude 6 reads, "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." This most certainly speaks of God's jurisdiction over these wicked angels."
If God doesn't rules over hell, then who does? Satan, the prince of the devils? What a horrible and frightening thought! Blessed be the God of heaven who has full authority and jurisdiction over hell.
God is indeed the King of Heaven in the sense that He is the glorious and majestic Being in heaven, who is adored and worshiped and praised by all in heaven. We can't say that of God in the same sense with regard to hell. God is no King of hell. Hell is no part of His kingdom, and He exercises no kingship over hell. It is far removed from Him and His kingdom, and that's what made hell such a horrible place. The inhabitants of hell are no subjects of His kingdom. The inhabitants of hell do not recognized God as their King, nor do they worship and praise Him. So no, God is not the king of hell. That's a title is more fitting for Satan!
4. Also related to hell, the pastor mentioned there are several degree of punishment in hell. If more sins are committed or more heinous sins are committed on earth, the punishment is more severe.
a. Consider this passage: Matthew 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
Please note: it seems to say that the most respectable and self-righteous religious men who are without Christ end up in exactly the same place as the devil himself. If the pastor's idea is true, then the Lord has done great injustice by lumping them together with the devil and his angels. If there are indeed several degree of punishment in the one same everlasting fire, then the pastor may argue that the one same everlasting fire has different compartments for different types of sinners, or somehow the same fire affects each individuals differently... perhaps the more sins-blackened ones would absorb the fiery pain greater, and the less sin-balckened ones proportionately less. I'm speaking as a fool.
Another question from the catechism (I thought good RBs memorized the catechism!!!):
Q: What does every sin deserve?
A: Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
Proof texts supplied: Gal 3:10, Mt 24:1.
Just ONE sin not forgiven is enough to damn a man to the everlasting fire.
b. The idea of the several degree of rewards/punishment is a just principle... in this life as a disciple, here and now. Punishment must always be just and proportionate to the crime. This principle is laid down and emphasized by Christ himself.
Lu 12:47-8 "And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
Please note that this passage is the Lord Jesus dealing with His SERVANTS who are here on earth. The same truth is emphasized in the parable of the talents. In fact nearly all the parables deal with the subject of discipleship.
Mt 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
In this life, the general principle that temporal blessings (rewards) are commensurate with our faithfulness and obedience as God's children, and Christ's disciples. Our enjoyment of temporal salvation is much conditioned upon our working out our own salvation with far and trembling. That's the main lessons of the parables.
c. When we come to eternal salvation... the enjoyment of heaven and eternal bliss... it would be very out of place to say that there are degrees of blessedness in heaven. However, this is a very common idea, EVEN among so called reformed folks who ought to know better. They are the one who mouth slogan like, 'By Grace Alone.'If it is indeed by grace alone, then how does our good works ever come into the equation of our eternal blessedness? It is the good works of the god-man Jesus Christ ALONE that secured our eternal blessedness. And please, ALONE means ALONE. Christ ALONE purchased the ONE SAME ETERNAL SALVATION for each and every one of His elect. And each elect shall inherit the ONE and the SAME ETERNAL SALVATION.
The trouble is, most folks do not distinguish eternal salvation by Christ's works alone, and temporal salvation in this life through their obedience to their holy and heavenly calling. The principle that applies on earth, is mistakenly brought into heaven - with all the resultant confusion, contradiction, and inconsistencies. One thing I learned from Olyott is this: "distinction is the essence of sound theology."
Please consider this wonderful statement: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Mt 25:34.
These glorious words are spoke to all the sheep ['ALL' because v32 reads, 'And before him shall be gathered ALL NATIONS...'] All them on his right hand are blessed of the Father, I believe in EXACTLY the same manner and extent in the ETERNAL sense, and each shall enter into exactly the same INHERITANCE of life eternal, verse 46.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ..." ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places are in Christ and Christ alone.
O grace upon grace, and all glory be to God. Why are men so intent to sneak their own works into both their salvation and eternal happiness? Rewards apply to life here and now as disciples. Eternal blessedness is entirely and wholly and solely by GRACE and GRACE ALONE, based solely on the works of Christ ALONE!
I thank my God and Saviour that my eternal blessedness is entirely based upon the perfect works of Christ, and nothing upon the rags of my feeble righteousness. Hallelujah!
I hope to have biblical basis for the three questions and stand ready to learn- as these notions were the first time in my entire life I learn about them. Please help.
Dear brother, I am encouraged by your desire for biblical basis. Yes, Scriptures alone is THE ONLY authority for our belief and practices. At the the first meeting with the NS trainees at Camp Cyrus in BM, I told them 3 principles: 1. Christians are the people of the Book; 2. The Book is given to us by our Father to make us wise unto our salvation, therefore it can be understood; 3. Seek and you shall find... please learn to seek the truth like the Bereans.
I humbly hope that what I have said above have some biblical basis.
Thanks for the opportunity to learn.
May our Lord bless us to know His beauty and glory, and His great love for His people.
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