Is there such thing as Hell on Earth? [podcast]

When someone dies we often hear “well he’s in a better place” which is not the truth unless that person who died was truly born again and in Christ at the time of his death.

When we hear people say things like “I’ve been through hell on earth” it’s due to their going through a very difficult ordeal or season, right? Yet, whatever they have been through on earth cannot possibly compare to the eternal misery that awaits the lost in the domain of the damned. No matter the gloom and despair a person has been through in this life while on earth, it’s not even remotely comparable to the unending misery that lies ahead if they die outside of Christ.

My personal concern when people use the phrase “hell on earth” is coupled with the great deception that all men die and go to a “better place,” a place of peace, which is a diabolical lie to remove from mens hearts the fear of the LORD and the fear of going to hell. Jesus taught that one should cut off their own hand or pluck out their own eye to miss this irrevocable, horrific eternal destination (Mark 9:43-49).

What did Jesus teach about eternal punishment?  In Mark 9, Jesus repeatedly uses the term – “their worm dieth not” – “worm” here is an idiom for consciousness which He says will never end. Lost souls will suffer unending torment. Annihilation is a lie. Here Jesus is warning us to get rid of all sin lest we be cast into hell, separated eternally from He who is “Holy, holy, holy” and commanded us to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:8)

“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: 44 Where THEIR WORM (consciousness) DIETH NOT, and the fire is not quenched. 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: 46 Where THEIR WORM (conscious feelings) DIETH NOT, and THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. 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: 48 Where THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, and THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire(preserved in suffering), and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” Mark 9:43-49

“salted with fire” refers to preservation. This further exposes the annihilation lie. Notice how these cultists are amateurishly obvious in their selective, seductive theology as they seek to do away with the plainly stated eternal, unending divine retribution that is coming on all wicked souls. Is salt not obviously a preservative? Well, is Jesus not confirming and reiterating the rest of what He is saying here with the obvious truth that all sacrifices in hell will be salted to preserve them from being annihilated so they can be tormented consciously as a just reward for rejecting the very precious blood of Jesus? The Father didn’t send His only begotten Son to die in vain.

In light of this Mark 9 passage: Jesus, the only Savior, preached hell and commanded His people to preach hell in order to warn men to not go there. Hell is the justice of a holy God and is a vital component of the original Gospel message preached by Jesus and is a manifestation of God’s love. Only wolves in sheep’s clothing leave it out of their messages!

Hell is a definite, literal location, place reserved for “the devil and his angels” and for those who die having rejected God’s offer of His only begotten Son (Matthew 25:41). Hell will be “cast into the lake of fire” for the eternal suffering of all who died having rejected the only sacrifice for their sins which was the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:14).

Hell is not ON earth but rather is located “in the heart of the earth.”

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40