Bible Question:
Being new here, please forgive me if I've over-looked any rules. I did several searches for this and found no answer. I'm just now beginning to try to learn more about His word, so I have confusion on some things. This morning I was listening to our local Christian radio program, and maybe I lost my train of thought, but I honestly believe one of the hosts said that (maybe jokingly?) no one would be going to hell, then he quoted Romans 14:11 "Every knee shall bow...". Tonight I've done some searching and found 2 more verses saying the same thing; Isaiah 45:21 and Philippians 2:9-11. So if I take these verses literally (KJV), is this true? Thanks so much for any help/advice you can give me. tonyab |
Bible Answer: Hello tanya, Welcome to the Forum! You've received some good answers. If you indeed heard one of the hosts on the radio program say "no one would be going to hell", he'd be mistaken. Scripture in no way teaches this! The context of Rom. 14:11- quoting Is. 45:23 - does not teach that all will go to Heaven! Question: "Is hell real? Is hell eternal?" Answer: It is interesting that a much higher percentage of people believe in the existence of Heaven than believe in the existence of Hell. According to the Bible, though, Hell is just as real as Heaven. The Bible clearly and explicitly teaches that Hell is a real place to which the wicked/unbelieving are sent after death. We have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23). The just punishment for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). Since all of our sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), and since God is an infinite and eternal Being, the punishment for sin, death, must also be infinite in eternal. Hell is this infinite and eternal death, what we have earned because of our sin. The punishment of the wicked dead in hell is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49), a place of “torment” and “fire” (Luke 16:23-24), “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9), a place where “the smoke of torment rises forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10,11), and a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). The punishment of the wicked in Hell is as never-ending as the bliss of the righteous in Heaven. Jesus Himself indicates that the punishment in Hell is just as everlasting as eternal life in Heaven (Matthew 25:46). The wicked are forever subject to the fury and the wrath of God in Hell. They consciously suffer shame and contempt and the assaults of an accusing conscience for all of eternity. Even those in Hell will acknowledge the perfect justice of God (Psalms 76:10). Those who are in Hell will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are to blame (Deuteronomy 32:3-5). Yes, Hell is real. Yes, Hell is a place of torment and punishment that lasts forever and ever, with no end! Praise God that through Jesus, we can escape this eternal fate (John 3:16,18,36). [gotquestions.org/hell] I hope this helps, BradK |