Hell, Know!

Sunday Teaching

Feb 7

What We Don’t know about Hell and Don’t want to find out!

The full video of this teaching is available at the bottom of this post and this link.

Hang tight—I'm about to shake things up, which might rattle your theological cage. Some of you might cheer, thinking I'm going full "fire and brimstone." Others of you are going to accuse me of becoming a liberal flake who is watering down the Gospel. So, stick with me through this journey; I promise it's worth it. I aim to motivate us to take seriously what the scripture says about Hell and act upon it instead of arguing over the things we don't fully know but assume we do.

So, what don't we know?

WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HELL IS LIKE

One View: Physical Descriptions of Hell ARE Literal
Jesus describes hell in graphic, physical terms. He warns of "the unquenchable fires of hell" (Mark 9:43), "weeping and gnashing of teeth" in "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12; 22:13), and speaks of a "fiery furnace" where the wicked are thrown (Matthew 13:42). He emphasizes that in hell, "the maggots never die, and the fire never goes out" (Mark 9:48). In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is "in torment," pleading for relief because he is "in anguish in these flames" (Luke 16:23-24). Jesus also speaks of "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons" (Matthew 25:41).

The rest of the New Testament reinforces these physical descriptions. Paul warns that the wicked will be "punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Jude describes it as "the blackest darkness" (Jude 1:13). Revelation depicts the final judgment, where the condemned are thrown into "the fiery lake of burning sulfur", where they will be "tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

Jonathan Edwards captured the physical reality of Hell with crystal clarity when he preached Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God and said, "The pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive you. The flames do now rage and glow."

In addition to Jonathan Edwards, the revivalist of the 1700s, supporters of the descriptions of Hell being literal include Bob Jones III, former president of Bob Jones University; John Hagee, John MacArthur, and David Jeremiah, well-known pastors and authors.

Another View: Physical Descriptions of Hell ARE NOT Literal
Jesus and the New Testament writers use vivid, symbolic language—fire, darkness, and maggots—to describe the unimaginable severity of complete and total judgment and separation from God.

If you take the biblical metaphors as literal descriptions, do they hold up to scrutiny? Jesus talks about hell as the place where "the maggots never die, and the fire never goes out" (Mark 9:48) and "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12). Fire gives light, right? But then Jude describes hell as "blackest darkness" (Jude 1:13). And if we’re taking everything at face value—so, maggots have eternal life now? They never die? Taken literally, these images clash. Fire stands for destruction (Matthew 10:28), while darkness signifies being cut off from God, the source of light (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Scrutiny test—fail. But as symbols, they click. Still, those metaphors point to something bigger—something more real, more devastating than the words themselves.

Supporters of a symbolic interpretation of hell’s physical descriptions include N.T. Wright, theologian and New Testament scholar; Tim Mackie, biblical scholar and co-founder of the Bible Project; Alisa Childers, author and PodCaster; and C.S. Lewis, renowned author and Christian apologist. Billy Graham also saw the fire and physical imagery of hell as metaphors for its profound and dreadful reality—separation from God.

We Don’t Know Who Ends Up There (individually)

Through my later teen years, I heard a lot of legalistic—holiness preaching (which is an oxymoron) that basically said: if your car started sliding off the road toward a tree and you panic-screamed a cuss word, hit the tree, and died—congrats—you just bought yourself a one-way ticket to hell for dying with unconfessed sin.

Many Christians feel it’s their job to judge someone else’s eternal destiny based on their own experience. Yes, we’re called to judge fruit, but final judgment isn’t our call. Years ago, a gentleman in our church always said, “Greg, I want you to be my lawyer when I stand before God.” I jokingly replied, “Jack, I won’t be there yet. And besides, Jesus is going to be your advocate!”

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). One thing is certain: no one enters eternity with Christ except through the blood of Jesus. We know our works don’t earn it. Our opinions don’t decide who is in and who is out. Salvation is God’s to give, not ours.

We don't know precisely how God's mercy and justice intersect at the final judgment. But what we do know is God will do what's right with each one of us.

As C.S. Lewis humorously wrote, “There will be three surprises in heaven: first, who is there; second, who is not there; and third, that you are there.”

All kidding aside, you can be sure of your salvation, as Romans 10:13 says—but when it comes to everyone else’s destiny, you’re not the one holding the gavel.

3. Eternal Conscious Torment or Final Destruction

“Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). That sounds pretty clear, right? Eternal suffering. No escape. No end. But then Jesus warns that God can "destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28), and the Greek word ἀπόλλυμι (apóllymi) means to wipe out, ruin, or completely perish—not just harm. The word for hell here is Gehenna, the smoldering trash pit outside Jerusalem where fire didn’t just burn things—it consumed them completely. Destroy—not torment forever. So which is it?

Some say eternal conscious torment—the traditional view—where the wicked suffer endlessly in hell. Others believe in annihilationism—that the lost face judgment and then cease to exist. Both camps have their proof texts.

So what do we know?

These are a few of the things we don’t know about Hell. And maybe you’re convinced. Perhaps for you, literal fire isn’t up for debate—it’s a hill you’re ready to die on. Fine. Stand your ground. But at the end of the day, no matter where you land on these questions, there’s one thing I can assure you of: Because of all we do know, you don’t want to find out!

POINT OF NO RETURN

Some folks—like Rob Bell (Love Wins), Richard Rohr (The Universal Christ), and Robin Parry (The Evangelical Universalist)—would have you believe that everyone who has ever lived will eventually be saved. Ultimately, God’s love will be so overwhelming that hell will be emptied, every soul will be restored, and heaven’s gates will swing wide for all. Some envision a temporary refining process, like an extended purgatory where even the most defiant will eventually surrender to grace. Others believe God’s mercy will simply erase judgment altogether. But it’s not what Scripture teaches.

Jesus didn’t say, "Hey, if you don’t figure it out in this life, no worries—you can take the remedial course in the afterlife." No, He spoke of a chasm no one can cross, illustrating the fixed separation between the righteous and the unrighteous after death (Luke 16:26). He gave warnings, not loopholes. When He returns, the door will be shut (Matthew 25:10-12).

Your death or Jesus’ Second Coming is the point of no return. Scripture makes that clear: "Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). No purgatory. No universalist backdoor. No chance to rethink it later.

This is why the gospel matters now. The time to repent isn’t later—it’s right now (2 Corinthians 6:2). Hell is real. God’s judgment is final.

YOU CAN NOT EVEN IMAGINE

Right now, even those who reject God can't escape Him. They wake up to His sun, breathe His air, and walk through a world He spoke into existence. They still feel His love—in the warmth of the sun's rays, a baby's laughter, and a loved one's extended embrace.

No person has lived a single day outside God's prevenient grace. Even the ones who mock Him drink water He provides, stand on ground He holds together, and live under mercy they don't deserve. His love is everywhere. They just don't accept it.

So, when your friend says, "I would rather party in hell with my friends than be bored in heaven," it only reveals their lack of understanding of both!

“The Bible exhausts human language in describing hell. Hell will be more terrible than human language and imagery can express.” – Dr. J. P. Moreland

So, while we might not have all the details, what we do know is more than enough to make us want to avoid it at all costs. That's the unmistakable point that Jesus and the entirety of Scripture drive home.

THE CROSS CHANGES EVERYTHING

Some look at Hell and question God's goodness. How could a loving God allow eternal separation? How could He let people choose this? C.S. Lewis wrote, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'" God respects our freewill so profoundly that He allows us to choose our own path, even if that path leads away from Him. The cross stands as His ultimate invitation to choose life, but He will not force our hand. The decision is ours.

God has done everything to ensure you can be with Him eternally and avoid the destruction of hell (John 3:16).

He stepped into human history—not to condemn, but to rescue (John 3:17). He took on flesh, walked among us, carried a cross up a hill, and let His own creation nail Him to it. He endured the agony of separation—so you wouldn’t have to.

Hell doesn’t have to be your future—because Jesus made a way.

THE CROSS! The dividing line. The payment. The invitation.

What will you do with it?

WHY WE SHARE OUR FAITH

This teaching isn’t about winning theological debates. It’s not about proving a point. It’s about people—people who, without Jesus, will face one thing we do know about Hell—it’s worse than anything we can imagine or human language can express.

That’s why we share our faith.

Not out of obligation. Not out of religious duty. But because eternity is real, and separation from God is tragic. Because we don’t want anyone to find out what we don’t know about hell—because what we do know is terrifying. Because Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Because He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Because there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12). Because the Cross stands between them and an eternity they were never meant to face. Because Jesus instructed us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15). And because we love them too much to stay silent.

Hell is real. So, let's embrace the grace we've been given through Jesus and share the Good News of His salvation boldly. Because in the end, it's not just about avoiding hell; it's about running toward the abundant life Jesus offers, both now and forever.

Greg McNichols