ETERNAL JUDGMENT is the seventh and final foundational doctrine of Christ.
God is the great judge. At the end of time, he will judge everyone. Both believers and unbelievers will stand before his throne. Everyone who ever lived, from the beginning of time until the end of time will be there.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Rev. 20:11-12)
All our works are being recorded in books by God. At the end of time, these books will be opened. Everything about our lives will be laid bare, and we will have no secrets.
Today, when people are asked how they will get into heaven, they often reply, “Because I’m a good person.” But our works, no matter how good, will never get us into heaven. The only way we can get to heaven is if our names are written in the Book of Life. Our names are inscribed in the book of life when we trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
At the judgment, the Book of Life will determine our eternal destination – heaven or hell. The other books which record our works will determine our levels within heaven or hell.
Before the Throne of God
There are only two possible destinations for every person’s soul after death: heaven or hell.
“It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
There is no middle ground like purgatory, where people pay for their sins and then get out. There is no way anyone can pay for their sins. Sin is an infinite affront to God, and it would take an eternity to pay for it. The blood of Christ alone can pay for sin.
At the final judgment, every person who ever lived, from the beginning of time until the end of time, will be separated into two groups.
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matt. 25:31-33)
Sheep symbolize those who believe in Jesus. Goats symbolize those who don’t.
Jesus said,
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29)
At the end of the age, those who have “done good” will be resurrected into glorified bodies. The “good” they have done is trusted in Jesus.
“What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29)
Those who never trusted in Christ will be part of the “resurrection of condemnation.” At this resurrection, the souls of unbelievers will be united with bodies of darkness, and they will be thrown into the lake of fire.
“Fear [God] who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28b).
Hell is a place where both soul and body will experience eternal destruction.
Heaven and Hell Are Forever
The judgment of God is eternal. In Greek, the word for eternity is αἰωνίον (aionion). This same Greek word describes the duration of life in heaven and the duration of punishment in hell.
“And these [unbelievers] will go away into everlasting [αἰωνίον] punishment, but the righteous into eternal [αἰωνίον] life” (Matt. 25:46).
Heaven is forever. Eternal life means consciously enjoying God’s presence, forever.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting [αἰωνίον] life” (John 3:16).
Jesus also said, “I give them eternal [αἰωνίον] life” (John 10:28).
Hell is also forever. The same Greek word that describes the duration of the afterlife in heaven, also describes the duration of the afterlife in hell.
“It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting [αἰωνίον] fire” (Matt. 18:8).
“These shall be punished with everlasting [αἰωνίον] destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:9).
In the Old Testament, Daniel used the Hebrew word olam to describe the duration of the afterlife, both for the righteous and for the wicked. Olam means eternal, forever.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting [olam] life, some to shame and everlasting [olam] contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. (Dan. 12:2-3)
The eternal state is permanent. There will be no departure from heaven for the righteous and no escape from hell for the wicked.
The Reason for Eternal Hell
Hell is eternal because God is infinitely valuable. To reject God is to reject everything that is good. This terrible choice has disastrous consequences. People who reject God often don’t face the consequences of their terrible choice while living on the earth, because God waits patiently for them to turn to him. But when they die, they will have no more chance to accept God.
Jesus paid an infinite price to reconcile us to an infinitely good God. If we refuse the infinitely valuable gift of God’s Son, we make an infinitely bad decision. And the penalty for rejecting infinite good is infinite evil.
What Hell is Like
Jesus talked a lot about hell. He described it as a “fire that shall never be quenched” (Mark 9:44a). Fire burns and causes pain. It consumes and destroys. The fire of hell can never be quenched. It will never go out. It will burn forever.
In hell worms will eat away at the damned. Jesus said that in hell “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44b). This word worm could also be translated as gnawing anguish. The anguish of hell is neverending.
Hell is a place of conscious torment. When a man died and his soul went into hell, he cried out, “I am tormented in this flame!” (Luke 16:24b). The man was conscious and in pain, as he crackled and burned in hell.
Hell is a furnace of fire.
“The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:50).
…as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal [αἰωνίον] fire. (Jude 7)
The people who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are currently suffering the vengeance of God in hellfire. This vengeance is eternal.
Hell is a spiritual fire where souls will weep and wail in excruciating pain. The sounds of screaming will be all around. Souls will figuratively gnash their teeth with remorse, regret, guilt, and shame.
Hell does not erase people so they no longer exist. Hell torments them.
“And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Rev. 14:11a).
Those who are in hell will never get any rest. Their exhaustion and pain will be eternal.
Hell is a lake of fire. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). All those who are not born again will be thrown into this lake of fire.
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Rev. 21:8)
Brimstone is an ancient word for sulfur. When sulfur burns, it becomes a sticky liquid that smells like rotten eggs. If the smoke of burning sulfur comes into contact with any moisture, it produces toxic gas. If a person breathes this gas, it forms a deadly acid inside their lungs which chokes them and burns them on the inside. This causes suffocation.
When unbelievers die, their souls immediately go into hell where they begin to suffer. They will choke, burn, and be in unimaginable pain.
Jesus told about a rich man who died and immediately went into hell.
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then 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.” (Luke 16:23-24)
People in hell will die, eternally. They will experience the pain of death, forever. Hell is the worst nightmare anyone could imagine.
On earth there are some good things and some bad things. But eternity will be extreme. In heaven there will be no bad things. In hell there will be no good things.
Just as there are levels of rewards in heaven, so there will be levels of punishment in hell. Jesus told some who rejected the gospel that “it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you” (Luke 10:14). The torment in hell for those who reject Jesus will be worse than the torment of the people who lived in Tyre and Sidon. Those who reject Jesus had an opportunity to trust in him for salvation, but those in Tyre and Sidon never had such an opportunity.
Motivated to Evangelize
Who can tolerate the thought of their friends and family members burning forever in hell? The thought is terrible.
If someone knows the cure for a deadly disease but withholds treatment, he is guilty. In the same way, if we know that people without Christ are heading into hell and we don’t share the gospel with them, we are guilty. We need to share the gospel with unbelievers so they don’t end up in hell.
“Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11a).
God can use the terrors of hell to save people. People will be reached with the gospel in different ways. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit in order to know how to share the gospel with each person. Some people will be saved when we show them compassion, while others will be saved when they are struck by the terrors of hell.
“And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 22-23).
Judgment of Christians
Christians are free from hell by the blood of Jesus. Praise God for the infinite power of Christ’s blood, the only way of salvation. Although they are eternally safe, Christians will still be judged by God.
“So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12).
We will give account to God for our words. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” (Matt. 12:36).
We will also give an account for our actions:
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:9-10)
When we are judged by God, we will receive rewards based on how we lived on the earth.
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (2 Cor. 3:12-15)
The foundation for everything good in the world is Jesus Christ. More specifically, the foundation of the church is Jesus Christ. He is the chief cornerstone for this great house of God in the earth comprised of everyone who believes in Jesus. If something is built on the foundation of Jesus that is according to God, it will remain. If something is built that is not according to God, it will be destroyed. Only the things that we do in this life that are according to the word of God will last forever. Whatever we do that is not according to the word of God will lack eternal value and be destroyed. Believers will all be saved; yet they will go through a fire that will test all their works.
As long as we are on the earth, we need to live in the light of God’s throne and make the most of our lives. Whatever we do now has eternal consequences. Let’s make wise use of our days and invest our time and energy for eternity.
This begins with understanding and implementing the seven basic doctrines of Jesus Christ.
~ Prayer ~
Dear God, I am only on this earth for a short time. Eternity is vast in comparison. Help me to live in the blazing light of eternity. Give me wisdom and power to speak your gospel to those who don’t know you. You don’t want anyone to perish, and I don’t either. Help me be an agent of your salvation. Cause the reality of hell to motivate me to evangelize. I know that someday I will stand before your throne, and you will judge me. Thank you for the precious blood of your Son which cleanses me from all sin. Help me to do things of eternal value and stop wasting my life with things that don’t matter. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Victory Over False Teachings
- Universal Reconciliation. Some churches believe that everything and everyone will ultimately be reconciled to God. But the Bible says that many people are going to end up in hell (Matt. 25:41).
- Purgatory. Some churches believe that when people die, they go to an intermediate place like purgatory to be cleansed from their sins. But the Bible says that after people die, they will immediately be judged (Heb. 9:27), and they will go into either heaven or hell.
- No Eternal Hell. Some churches believe that hell is not eternal. But the Bible says eternity is the same duration for the righteous and the wicked (Dan. 12:2).
- Annihilation of the Wicked. Some churches believe that the souls of the lost will cease to exist. But the Bible says that hell is eternal, conscious torment (Jude 7).
Foundations Study 7: Eternal Judgment
Revelation 20:11-12
- On what basis will believers be judged?
- On what basis will unbelievers be judged?
- Can anyone be saved by their works?
Matthew 25:31-33
- Why are believers symbolized by sheep?
- Why are unbelievers symbolized by goats?
- Is Jesus Christ exclusive?
- Is Jesus Christ tolerant?
- Is the love of God revealed in judgment?
Hebrews 9:27
- When will judgment happen?
- What does this judgment determine?
John 5:28-29,Matthew 10:28
- What is the resurrection of condemnation?
- What kind of bodies will unbelievers receive at the resurrection?
- In what way will bodies be destroyed in hell?
Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:46, John 3:16, John 10:28
How do we know that hell is eternal?
2 Thessalonians 1:9
If something is eternally destroyed, what will that be like?
Daniel 12:2
- What is everlasting contempt?
- Is eternal hell fair? Why or why not?
Mark 9:44, Matthew 13:50, Revelation 14:11
- What is hell like?
- Why is there fire in hell?
- If someone digs deep enough in the ground will they find hell?
Luke 16:24
- Are the souls in hell in conscious pain?
- What is it like to have no rest?
Revelation 21:8
What is brimstone?
Luke 10:14
- Are there levels in hell?
- What will the best part of hell be like?
- Who will be in the worst part of hell?
- Why do people sometimes joke about a party in hell?
2 Corinthians 5:11, Jude 22-23
- Can the reality of hell be used for evangelism?
- Did Jesus ever warn unbelievers about hell? Should we?
Romans 14:12
What does it mean to give an account of yourself?
Matthew 12:36
Why are words so important for judgment?
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
Are you living in light of the fact that you will someday stand before God to be judged?
2 Corinthians 3:12-15
- What kind of fire will test the work that we have done on the earth?
- How can we be sure that what we are doing is of eternal value?
- How can we avoid wasting our lives?
Bethel Cornerstone 