Hell

Hell is described as a place of burning and torment. A place to be avoided. " 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: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 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: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 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 9:45-47)

Hell is not ruled by Satan. He is not even there! Nor is it a place where all our buddies will be who also rejected God's salvation. The Bible teaches that it will be a lonely place indeed where those who reject Christ will be as " wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." (Jude 13)

Hell is the remand centre where those who "condemned already" await the day of judgment at "The Great White Throne" (see chart). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:16-19)

For those who wonder about the responsibility of those who might not be of an age to make a responsible decision, or for that matter those who have never heard the Gospel, the great principles of God's judgement are laid out in the second chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans.

According to Truth	But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth v2

According to Deeds	Who will render to every man according to his deeds: v6

Without Favouritism	For there is no respect of persons with God. v11

According to Knowledge	For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; v12

By Jesus Christ	In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ v16