Hell: A Crude Joke?

We react strongly to the word “hell.” At least I know I do. A few months ago I was waiting in line to pay for my family’s breakfast at a local pancake house. The tall, white-haired man ahead of me in line leaned forward toward the attractive young hostess behind the counter and said in a stage whisper, “If you wear that, you’re going straight to hell!” My jaw froze, my heart raced and I stared intently at the man’s face. What a horrible way to present God! Sure, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:2020The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)) is true, but it applied just as much to the elderly man as the hostess. I listened intently and heard him deliver a lewd punch line to what he considered a clever joke and watched the young lady smile broadly as she handed him his change.
So is hell a crude joke or a serious place? God says, “All liars  ...  shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)). That sounds pretty serious to me. Luke 16:19-3119There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And 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. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:19‑31) tells a fascinating story about a man in hell. If you’ve never heard it, then read it today. (Don’t have a Bible? Hundreds of websites and thousands of libraries have them. Try bibletruthpublishers.com/library, which gives access to a digital Bible.) At the end of the story, the man says about his living relatives, “If one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.” He argues that if the proof were dramatic enough, everyone would repent. But the answer he receives drives home an uncomfortable truth. “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:3131And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31)). No miracle, no evidence, no clever persuasiveness will convince anyone who rejects what God’s Word says about the reality of hell. God’s Word says there is a hell waiting for unrepentant sinners who refuse His love and mercy. Will you go there when you die, or to heaven?