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Beginning with Luke 16:19-31, let us consider the
case of one who went to hell. "There was a certain rich man, which
was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every
day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at
his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs
which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and
licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was
carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died,
and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,
and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried
and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that
he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I
am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that
thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art
tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great
gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he
said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to
my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify
unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham
saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear
them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them
from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear
not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though
one rose from the dead."
Much has been said about one's soul going to hell, but little has
been considered about one's body being in hell; yet we are not able
to consider the punishment from as many angles as found in these
verses of the rich man and Lazarus. This we shall bring out a little
later on. When Paul tells us in Hebrews 9:27, "As it is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," we are reminded
of two things that take place with a lost sinner before he is
finally ushered into eternity. "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."
Rev. 21:8. When we consider the resurrection of the wicked dead, we
are reminded that the wicked dead will undergo a change similar to
that of the righteous dead in the resurrection at the coming of the
Lord, because when the dead are raised they are certain to be raised
in full consciousness. At the coming of the Lord, the dead shall be
raised incorruptible: that is, the dead in Christ, and we shall all
be changed-our mortal bodies being made in the likeness of the Lord
Jesus; the blind being made to see; the deaf to hear; the dumb to
speak; and all the afflictions and defects of the Christians will be
done away with and we shall have glorified bodies with all of our
senses: hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, and seeing. When we
think of the dead in Christ being raised, we naturally expect every
member of their bodies to be made whole and free from any fault or
weakness. This similar condition certainly must take place with
sinners. The Bible refers to the sea giving up its dead, etc. We
would naturally think of the bodies coming out of these places where
they have been placed at death with soul reunited, standing in full
consciousness before the Great Judge. Yes, we believe that both body
and soul of the sinner dying in his sins will be cast into hell.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the
body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which
is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Surely all sinners
who die in their sins, whether deaf, dumb, or blind, or whatever
their physical ailments might have been on this earth, when they
undergo the change in the resurrection will certainly be able to
hear, see, and speak when their final sentence of doom has been
passed upon them. Believing in such a change which brings back the
five senses to the body would naturally lead us to believe in the
torments of hell being more than just suffering in a fire, since it
is clearly seen in the case of the rich man in hell. Whatever the
rich man's physical condition was on earth, his five senses were
restored when he awoke in hell.
THE FIRST SUFFERING
It was hell for this man to see. With all the smoke and flames and
all the darkness that penetrated the regions of the damned which
this man was able to see, certainly his sense of seeing while on
earth was nothing to be compared with that of his vision in hell. He
could have been blind or partially blind while on this earth, but
now he was able to see with a greater sense of sight than all the
years while on this earth. "And he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus
in his bosom." Think of it, my friends; an eyesight that was able to
pierce fire and smoke and outer darkness across a great gulf into
Abraham's bosom afar off. Surely it was hell just to see. If this
man could have been blind in hell, hell would not have been nearly
so horrible, but God's Word says he lifted up his eyes in hell "and
saw." My sinner friend if you die in your sins, who will you be able
to see afar off which will add to your tormented soul in hell? Will
it be that you will see a mother or a father, sister or a brother,
husband or a wife, afar off "comforted," while you are tormented? If
one man saw out of hell afar off, it stands to reason that every
sinner in hell will be able to see the same. Oh, the hell-the hell
to be able to see those loved ones and friends afar off in glory;
safe with Jesus forevermore, while you are suffering the second
death in eternal hell-in outer darkness where there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. Sinner, think of your way. Yes, it will be
hell to be able to see.
THE SECOND SUFFERING
He was able to speak. It is possible that while on earth he could
have had some disease of the throat or lungs, or perhaps he was
paralyzed and even at death was unable to speak above a whisper or
perhaps speak at all; but in eternity he was able to cry with a loud
voice, "Have mercy on me!" Oh, what a fiendish yell; what a cry that
penetrated the regions of the damned; a cry that was heard across
the great gulf, afar off, and reached Abraham. Truly human ears have
never heard such a cry. He cried for mercy, but no mercy was found.
He was in hell where there is no mercy-in hell where no prayers are
answered-forgotten of God-lost forevermore. How horrible! How
horrible! Yet think of how many today are headed for this place Yes,
it was hell to see-hell to cry and have your cries turned down.
THE THIRD SUFFERING
It was hell for him to feel. Whatever his physical condition was on
this earth, he was able to feel in hell, for he said, "I am
tormented in this flame." What torment to feel the flames of hell
lapping their way from the top of your head to the soles of your
feet, eternally. Yes, he was able to feel. Think of it, my sinner
friend, every inch of his body, inside and out, tormented in the
flames of hell fire where the fire is never quenched and the soul
never dies. How horrible, and yet how true!
THE FOURTH SUFFERING
It was hell for him to hear. This man might have been deaf while on
earth or even partially deaf, but in hell he was able to hear, and
oh, what a sense of hearing! With the shrieks, the screams, and the
cries, and all the commotion in hell, he was able to hear the voice
of another across the great gulf afar off-the voice of Abraham. Oh,
what hell it was to hear the disappointing words from afar off. "No
hope." If this man heard Abraham afar off and saw Lazarus in his
bosom, my sinner friend, what will you see and what will you hear
after you have lived a Christ-rejecting life and come to a
Christless grave? When you awake in hell and are able to see afar
off and hear afar off, what will you see and hear? Will it be the
tender voice of a mother or wife; the friendly voice of a father or
brother; or will it be the cooing of a precious baby, safe in the
arms of Jesus, comforted, while you are tormented? Yes, it was hell
to hear.
THE FIFTH SUFFERING
It was hell to be able to taste. He cried, "Send Lazarus that he may
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue." When on this
earth, while living in luxury and faring sumptuously every day, he
was able to order the finest wines and cordials; he had service at
his command, but in hell he only asked for a drop of water. No, he
didn't ask for a glassful, a pitcherful, not even a spoonful, but
one drop-and was refused. Think of it, sinner friend, what a sense
of taste, famishing in a waterless hell. Remember God's Word-"The
wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget
God." Are you a wicked one? Have you forgotten God? Why was it that
he asked for Lazarus to bring him water? Because it was Lazarus that
he had had dealings with on this earth. It seemed that Lazarus was
God's representative sent to the door of this rich man to eat crumbs
that fell from his table.
Sinner, what representative does God have at your door with a
message of warning that you are refusing and ignoring? It may be
that this will be the one whom you will send for, if you go to hell.
Again, think of how horrible it was to taste the pangs of a
scorching, blistering, smoking, fuming hell; crying for water, with
no water to be given.
THE SIXTH SUFFERING
It was hell to remember. Hell would not be nearly so bad if a man
could not remember. Oh, what torment; what torment to be able to
see; hell to cry; hell to feel; hell to hear; hell to taste; and
now-hell to remember. The rich man remembered. While on this earth
he might have forgotten many things, but in hell he remembered. This
one thing we know-that he forgot God. He may have tried to drown out
memories with drinking. He might have traveled to forget his
worries, but in hell he remembered. He remembered his home and his
five brothers. He remembered their sinful lives, because he wanted
to send word to them to warn them of that place he was in, but his
request was in vain. Somewhere back in the mind there seems to be a
scroll with the past recorded on it. It is said that people lose
their minds, but it is impossible to lose memory. One may become
mentally unbalanced or become insane, but to forever lose one's mind
is impossible. What hell it is going to be to remember sins and
sorrows, disappointments, and all that make up a sad sinner's life.
Oh, that you might bring your sins to the Saviour and let Him save
you from them all and escape the horrors of hell where memory haunts
the soul! Just think of it-in hell being able to remember in detail
everything that happened in life on this earth. You will remember
the opportunities you had to repent and be saved. You will remember
the sermons that were preached to keep you from going to hell. You
will remember the prayers and testimonies and all that was done to
save you from hell. You will remember the little church where
service after service was held, where you could have been saved. You
will remember the man of God who preached his heart out to you, but
you refused. You'll remember that Christian who laid his hand on
your shoulder in the meeting and said, "Sinner, won't you give your
heart to Jesus?" and you said, "Not tonight." All this you'll
remember in hell.
THE SEVENTH SUFFERING
It will be hell not to have any hope of escape, because hell will be
without end. It will be eternal darkness, and you will be unable to
lay hold on the promises of God, for there will be no Bible in hell.
Hell will be Christless, therefore it will be hopeless. How terrible
to be in a godless, Christless, Bibleless hell without hope! Today,
my sinner friend, you have a promise of escape by trusting in the
Son of God, but in hell there is no way of escape-no exit in
hell-only one entrance, and that entrance is the door of unbelief
and rejection, eternal night-an endless night. In hell there is no
one to care for your soul. There you'll be with drunkards,
murderers, thieves, liars, whoremongers, and idolators, tormented
forever and ever. No wonder Jesus came to die that we might escape
this awful place of torment. There will be no love in hell, because
God is love, and God will not be there; Nothing but hate and malice;
no precious babies in hell that a father and mother might hold in
their arms and listen to their cooing voice. No little children will
be there, for we remember the words of Jesus, "Suffer little
children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the
kingdom of heaven." No innocence in hell-all will be guilt; no
mercy-for then will be justice; no comfort-all will be suffering
forever. No more revival meetings; only the revival of memory to
haunt you forever; no more gospel sermons or songs to warn you of
wickedness; no one to be interested in your damned soul. There will
be sorrows, heartaches, blistering tears, remorse, grief, burdens,
memory. There will be no friends in hell. All will be strangers
forever-no one to sympathize with your eternal dying soul that is
damned forever.
Sinner, won't you repent? Won't you believe and escape this horrible
place? Today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. (II
Cor. 6:2). "Boast not thyself of to morrow, for thou knowest not
what a day may bring forth." Prov. 27:1. If you will come to Jesus,
acknowledge your guilt to Him-that you are a sinner-and trust Him as
your personal Saviour and Lord, He will save you. "For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 10:10. If you will believe
Jesus to be the Son of God, and that He died on Calvary's Cross for
your sins; and rose again the third day, and own Him as your Saviour,
He will save you NOW. -Selected
IF THE DEAD COULD SPEAK!
We were once as you are now. Soon you will come to be with us. We do
not talk about our neighbors for our voices are stilled, but we send
out messages of warning to those who view our silent city-the city
in which others have placed us.
Oh, how we would like to tell you to "Follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. 12:14. It
is not all of life just to live; but live to live again-at peace
with God and man. There is a great difference. Consider Lazarus, the
beggar, and Dives, the rich man. Do not wait until you come to be
with us to repent, but do it now; there is no better time. Do it
before you come here. Most of us waited until it was too late. "OH
ETERNlTY! how long?" is our wail. |
