Hell is not “Separation from God”

by Steven Anderson, 2006

1. Are those in Hell separated from God?

2. Who is teaching that Hell is “separation from God”?

3. What is Hell really?

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” – Revelation 14:10

“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” – Psalm 139:8

“For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.” – Isaiah 30:33

1. Are those in Hell separated from God?

The doctrine of a literal Hell has always been under attack by liberal scholars and theologians. Many false teachers have attempted to replace the idea of a literal Hell with the concept that Hell is actually “separation from God.” This doctrine of “separation from God” has completely infiltrated Baptist churches everywhere. In our day, churches that believe in a literal Hell still use this idea that Hell is “separation from God” in order to tone down the reality of how horrible Hell really is.

The Bible teaches quite the opposite of “separation from God.” Revelation 14:10b reads, “and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” The Bible is very clear in this verse that those in Hell are being tormented in the presence of Jesus Christ. How else could this verse be true? Not only this, but the Bible also teaches that God is omnipresent. John 3:13 reads, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” Here Jesus is claiming to be on earth talking to Nicodemus and in Heaven at the same time. Every Bible version aside from the King James Bible removes the phrase, “which is in heaven,” from this verse.

In Psalm 139:8, David says to God, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Clearly God is everywhere, including Hell. In fact, the Bible states that God is the source of the torment. II Thessalonians 1:8, 9 reads, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” The everlasting destruction of Hell comes from the presence of God! The flaming fire comes from the glory of his power!

2. Who is teaching that Hell is “separation from God”?

Pope John Paul II

On July 28, 1999, in his weekly address to approximately 8,500 people, he described Hell as "the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God." He also gave these statements:

"Rather than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."

"Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person, and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever."

"The thought of hell and even less the improper use of biblical images must not create anxiety or despair."

Billy Graham

“The only thing I could say for sure is that hell means separation from God. We are separated from his light, from his fellowship. That is going to be hell. When it comes to a literal fire, I don't preach it because I'm not sure about it. When the Scripture uses fire concerning hell, that is possibly an illustration of how terrible it's going to be - not fire but something worse, a thirst for God that cannot be quenched. (p. 74, bold added)” – Time Magazine 11/15/93

“Could it be that the fire Jesus talked about is an eternal search for God that is never quenched? Is that what it means? That, indeed, would be hell. To be away from God forever, separated from His Presence. (p. 74-75, italics in original)” - The Challenge, Sermons from Madison Square Garden, 1969

The Jehovah’s Witnesses

On their official website, www.watchtower.org, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have many articles denying the reality of a literal Hell and promoting this idea of separation from God. Look at this excerpt from an essay on the subject.

“Again, is hell a fiery place of eternal torment or of annihilation? Or is it simply a state of separation from God? What really is hell? A Brief History of Hellfire WHEN did professed Christians adopt the belief in hellfire? Well after the time of Jesus Christ and his apostles. "The Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century C.E.) was the first [apocryphal] Christian work to describe the punishment and tortures of sinners in hell," states the French Encyclopćdia Universalis. Among the early Church Fathers, however, there was disagreement over hell. Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Cyprian believed that hell was a fiery place. Origen and theologian Gregory of Nyssa thought of hell as a place of separation from God—of spiritual suffering. Augustine of Hippo, on the other hand, held that suffering in hell was both spiritual and sensory—a view that gained acceptance. "By the fifth century the stern doctrine that sinners will have no second chance after this life and that the fire which will devour them will never be extinguished was everywhere paramount," wrote Professor J.N.D. Kelly.”

Independent Fundamental Baptists

Even though independent Baptists still believe in a literal Hell, they seem to like using the term “separation from God” instead of going into graphic detail of what Hell is really like, as Jesus did. Here are just two of THOUSANDS of examples.

The Doctrinal Statement of Bible Baptist Church in Supply, NC reads, “The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in Heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) the lost are raised to eternal torment in Hell in conscious separation from God—Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8.” None of these verses listed mention anything about being separated from God, but they do mention fire, flames, wailing, and worms – none of which they mention.

In the June 2006 issue of the North Valley Newsletter (North Valley Baptist Church, Santa Clara, CA), there is a piece entitled, “How to Lead Children to Christ” by Lankford Oxendine. Point 2 reads as follows: “2. SIN MUST BE PUNISHED. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23a • Explain Hell. Refrain from using frightening, offensive descriptions of punishment and Hell. (These are children, after all.) Instead, focus on the worst part about Hell—being separated from God and from everyone else who has been saved from that awful place.” So apparently when giving the gospel to children and explaining Hell, we should not scare them with Jesus’ “offensive” type teaching of fire, screaming, etc., but should emphasize the worst part of Hell, “separation from God.” If this is the worst part of Hell, why does the Bible not mention it in reference to Hell?

Let’s face it, the unsaved want nothing to do with God! They would love to be separated from God. In Hell they will not be separated from God; on the contrary, they will spend eternity in the presence of the Lamb facing his wrath.

3. What is Hell really?

Hell is a place of flaming fire.

Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Revelation 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

II Thessalonians 1:8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”

II Thessalonians 1:9 “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

Mark 9:43 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”

Mark 9:44 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 9:45 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”

Mark 9:46 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 9:47 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:”

Mark 9:48 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Luke 16:23 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Luke 16:24 “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.”

Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Hell is a place of smothering smoke.

Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

Hell is a place of dismal darkness.

Jude 1:13 “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

Hell is a place screaming and wailing.

Matthew 22:13 “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Hell is a place of everlasting chains.

Jude 1:6 “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.”

Hell is a place of flesh-eating worms.

Isaiah 14:9 “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.”

Isaiah 14:10 “All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?”

Isaiah 14:11 “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”

Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”

Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

Hell is a place of no rest day nor night – no sleep.

Back

The following sermon addresses this subject in detail:

The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.

Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Reality of Hell" 05/14/06pm Sunday