DAMNATION OF HELL!

                            By: General James Green                            

IN THIS "POLITICALLY CORRECT," "touchy-feely," "I- don't-want-to-hurt- anyone's-feelings (except the true Christian's!) generation, teaching or preaching on DAMNATION and HELL is considered outrageous, if not worse. But since I couldn't care less about one's human feelings in regards to God's eternal truths, I'll hereby present another study on this topic.

"DAMN, "DAMNABLE," and "DAMNATION" these words have, in the course of time, suffered a "process

of degeneration," if you will; which, as one Bible scholar states, has made it so that "We are not so much beholden to good acts as to bad manners." That is, IT'S GIVEN US THE EXCUSE TO DO EVIL INSTEAD OF WHAT'S RIGHT IN THE EYES OF GOD.

The Latin damnare signified "to inflict loss on one; to condemn." James Hastings, M.A., D.D., wrote this in his Dictionary of the Bible, Languages, Literature, and Contents (vol. 1, 1898): "Under the influence of theology, the English words thence derived [from the Latin] soon acquired the sense of 'condemnation to eternal punishment'; and this special application ran alongside the original meaning from the 14th century to the 18th. However, we also read from Hastings that "In the 1619 edition of the Bishop's N.T., the translation of 1 Timothy 5:12 is 'having damnation, because they have cast away their first faith'; and

there is added this note [which shows the shift in usage, away from 'eternal condemnation']: 'Saint Paul doth not here speak of the everlasting damnation, but by this word damnation, doeth rather understand the shame that those wanton widows shall have in the world for breaking their promise" (emphasis mine). Thus, we see that although the English sense carried that of the original (i.e., the Latin) until about the 18th century, there were those who, by the 17th century, were already using the word "damnation" differently. But in earlier English it was not so.

Take John Wycliffe's writings, for example. "DAMN," "DAMNABLE," "DAM-NATION"-these words had a very different suggestion in his day, for he not only used "DAMN" freely in the sense of "CONDEMN," as in his translation of Job 9:20-"If I wole make me iust, my mouth shall dampus (DAMN) me"-but even uses it of our Lord Himself, as in Mark 10:33-"For lo! We stein to Jerusalem, and mannus sone schal be bitraied to the princis of prestis, and to scribis, and to the eldre men; and thee schulen dampue hym bi deth."

Now, we know that when Jesus gave His marching orders, the "Great Commission," to His followers in Mark 16:15-16, He stated in 16b, "but he that believeth NOT (in the Gospel) shall be DAMNED." That Greek word ("damned") means "to give sentence" (AV/KJV). It is hard to conceive this kind of language today, but the truth remains: ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AS THE WORLD'S SAVIOUR WILL BE DAMNED!-not that the Lord wants it this way, BUT HE, AND HE ALONE CAN SAVE A SOUL FROM ETERNAL RUIN. Truly, WE CAN DAMN OURSELVES by rejecting the ONLY PROVISION that could be effectual to one's salvation.

Is it unreasonable to state that if a family's house caught fire and the alarm was sounded to the sleeping family by ONLY ONE person, and all the exits were in flames except where this ONE person stood to help any and all escape the flames-that NO MEMBER OF THE FAMILY would refuse to go to safety by and through the ONE WAY OUT? None would suffer the loss of their life simply because they didn't want to go that particular way out (WHICH WAS THE ONLY WAY OUT!). No, only a fool would refuse to exit a burning house. And it would not be the "savior's" fault if one or all family members perished in the flames because of their own foolishness.

We have a choice to make (which is really a SIMPLE choice indeed!) when it comes to our eternal salvation or damnation: DO WE WANT TO COME TO JESUS, THE ONLY WAY OF ESCAPE FROM HELL (THE "BURNING HOUSE"), OR DO WE CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN THE WAY OF HELLFIRE AND BE SEALED IN THAT "BURNING HOUSE" FOREVER???

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell?” (Matt. 23:33). Jesus' stern rebuke and question is based on Matthew 3:7, where John the Baptist asked the Pharisees and Sadducees (whom he called "a generation of vipers"): "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

In Matthew 23 Jesus gives forth His woes. In verse 14 He uses the word "DAMNATION" and repeats it in verse 33. Some Bible scholars want to belittle the use of Jesus' criticisms against the religious leaders by using such a harsh word. They point out that verse 33 is not found in the Alexandrian or the Caesarean texts but borrowed from Mark 12:40. Here the word "damnation" in the KJV is "condemnation" in the RSV. In the Revised Standard Version (RSV), verse 33 has "You serpents, you

brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to Hell?" Here we have damnation as the same as Hell.

"These words sound like the harshest ever attributed to Jesus; many interpreters hold that Jesus would not have said those things" (Broadman Bible Commentary). Yes, dear readers, Jesus DID say these things and He meant what He said! Please order all our free booklets on Hell for further confirmation.

The context from which Jesus spoke these "harsh" words was in relation to verses 29-33. Here He is dealing with persecution and murder. He is rebuking the religious leaders for persecuting and murdering the prophets of God that put forth warning also of God's wrath against sin. Has anything really changed today? We may not have religious leaders murdering the true messengers of God today as in those days, but they are certainly "character assassins."

In this liberal, backslid and Hellbound age, there are plenty of Ecclesiastical tyrants and terrorists. They, as we well know, attack not only the Holy Bible, but any and all who DARE to call sin, sin! They launch their hateful attacks, sabotage true godly works, and use any and all means available to blow up power-bases of God's true people.

Who can deny that every form of hatred and persecution denounced by Jesus has come to active expression in our generation? Not only in Christianity but other religions also. Who can deny that men have persecuted and murdered one another "in the name of God and of Christ?"

Dearly beloved, we live in a tyrannical world where human life is cheap. This present generation is scourged with animosity-terrorism, war, hatred of every kind, fratricide, factions etc. The Governments of this world, profligate in DEATH, are spending Billions (capital "B") and Trillions (capital "T") on wars and war preparations. Thus, religion becomes implicated in these horrible conflicts. Programs, crusades, religious wars-as one religious leader's anguished cry was: "Oh, how we HATE one another for the LOVE of God!!"

Notice that Jesus never once sanctioned persecution or war or murder for the sake of it. In His words He was denouncing any religion in which man tries to "play God." This "God playing" has literally gotten out of hand in our day. We have governments (including the USA) that pronounce life or death-who will live and who will die.

Please take note that Jesus' rebuke was aimed (on target!) at and against the piety of religious authorities who insisted upon their piety and authority. At stake was THEIR authority over His. The hellish devastation of 70 A.D. was but a part, a sample of what was to come upon "this generation." Not only was Jerusalem destroyed, but several million souls were killed or driven from their homeland. This was only in the worldly sense, who knows how many souls went to HELL for their sins.

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal (never ending) damnation" (Mark 3:29, KJV). The RSV has "is guilty of an eternal sin." Some want to dismiss the truth of punishment for sin. But the Bible is full of references teaching a life after death, both for the wicked in eternal Hell and for the righteous in eternal bliss, or Heaven. John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2-3, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, Revelation 20:11-15, and so on, all tell of the resurrection, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt. Eternal Hellfire and an Eternal Heaven is REAL We're either saved or damned eternally-SALVATION OR DAMNATION!

Jesus contrasts the fates of the wicked and righteous: "They (the wicked) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matt. 25:46). The Lord uses words like "damnation," "punishment," "Hellfire," "condemned," etc. John states in John 5:27-29 that "A time is coming when ALL who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good will rise to live (eternal life), and those who have done evil will rise TO BE CONDEMNED." NO ONE will escape God's judgment...NO ONE! (Read also 2 Thes. 1:5-9; note this from verse 9: "They will be PUNISHED with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION and SHUT OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD...")

Jude regards God's judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah-Genesis 19:24-25-as an earthly, temporal "example of those who suffer the PUNISHMENT of ETERNAL FIRE" (Jude 7; see also Rev. 14:10-11).

So, "eternal punishment," "condemnation," "everlasting destruction," "eternal fire," "eternal damnation"-all the cup of God's wrath. Don't ever let these fake teachers and preachers tell you that "annihilation" is correct. Hell's duration is as real as Heaven's duration. No one ever claims that Heaven will end, yet the same Greek word ("eternal"/"everlasting") is used for both Hell and Heaven. "For ever and ever" is commonly used, The language could not be more clear: Hell is ENDLESS and so is Heaven. "Everlasting destruction" is NOT "annihilation," for the wicked must continue to exist to be excluded from the LORD's presence (which is "never ending"). Rather, "everlasting destruction" is a condition of complete ruin.

"And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night..." (Rev. 14:11). The smoke is no doubt reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah, and this smoke will NEVER CEASE! You can, with the unbelieving liberal scholars, refuse to believe these Biblically sound passages...or you can believe the truth with us.

Extinction and total oblivion is a creation of fearful and unbelieving men.

The road to damnation is a BROAD WAY! In the account in Matthew 7:13-15, Jesus tells us of the straight and wide gates. He instructs us-all who will heed His Words-to enter in at the "straight gate." Then He warns us about the wide gate, and the broad way, "that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." DESTRUCTION! DAMNATION! ETERNAL RUIN! We don't have to go that way, we can enter in at the straight and narrow way, "which leadeth unto (eternal) life..."

The way to DAMNATION is easy to travel on-the sights, the sounds, the smells of Sodom and Gomorrah: it takes NO faith at all. We, you, I, can travel slow or fast. There is no road map to follow just SIN. But at the END of our earthly travels, we'll face THE TERRORS OF HELL.

DAMNATION IS THE CUP FOR FOOLS...DRINK TILL YOU'RE DRUNK, YOU'LL STILL FACE HELL, IF YOU INSIST AND PERSIST IN WILLFUL SINNING. ARE YOU A FOOL???

We have spineless worms called "professors," "scholars," "doctors," etc., that try to DAMN the words "perishing," "destruction," "everlasting torments," etc. They try hard to tell us that these words literally mean, as I stated aforehand, "annihilation." Jesus used the word "destroy" (Matt. 10:28) in relation to both soul and body in Hell. He also used the word "perish" in John 3:16. In fact, there are several passages that contain the vocabulary of "destruction." But 2. Thessalonians 1:9 tells us that the wicked "will be punished with everlasting destruction" as we've already quoted. If we listen to the "experts," the Scripture would say "everlasting annihilation"-an unlikely meaning for "everlasting destruction," don't you agree?

And can anyone really be "shut out from the presence of the Lord" if they're "annihilated"? The "shut out" part wouldn't really make sense, because the person wouldn't even exist to be in a continual state of being "shut out." I must also say that "shut out" does not mean that the damned are "nowhere." One scholar argues that Paul has in mind "an irreversible verdict of eternal non-fellowship with God": that is, "a person exists but remains excluded from God's very presence of blessedness." I agree.

Have you ever thought about Revelation 17:8 and v. 11? "Destruction" is prophesied for the "Beast." Then 2 chapters later we read about the "Beast" and the "False Prophet" being "thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur" (Rev. 19:20). But after "1,000 years" (see 20:7, 10) they are still there-ALIVE, not "annihilated."

"Destruction" and "perish" and other synonyms do not mean extinction. In our first 2 Hell booklets, we go into greater detail on this subject.

John 3:16 and 17 tell us that Jesus paid the ULTIMATE PRICE in crucifixion and torture to keep us OUT of this DAMNATION, this DAMNED place called "HELLFIRE." Really now, would Jesus have done this for sinners, suffered and died a horrible death for something that did not exist? This is for you skeptics who don't believe in Heaven or Hell.

The word "perish" is often the forgotten word of John 3:16, but it points to the dreadful REALITY OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. We get our eyes on ETERNAL LIFE, and we should, but let us never forget about Hell and those who will go there. We must warn the lost and the sinning Christian.

"Eternal" not only expresses perpetuity but also the quality of life-a divine type of life, a life free from the power of sin and satan (but we must fight to remain free!).

I do not believe that words can describe the horrors of Hell. I do not believe that words can describe Heaven either. But I believe in both! Do you want to be a citizen of Hell? Or do you want to be a citizen of Heaven? Both are unceasing, forever, without end. Do you want DAMNED souls around you forever, or blessed saints forever?

Sin and sinners gave birth to the punishment of Hellfire for mankind. Sin must be punished. But God is gracious towards mankind, at least for a while.

We can distinguish 3 types of punishment in the Word of God: Preventative, Remedial, and Retributive. (1) Preventative is penalty meted out to someone to deter others from sinning. (2) Remedial is penalty inflicted to bring about improvement in the person or persons punished. (3) Retributive is punishment given according to "just deserts." Hell is RETRIBUTIVE. God will give full wages earned by the wicked with ETERNAL RUIN. This is for those who die in their sins.

The Word of God teaches that Jesus endured His Father's wrath on Calvary's cross. He suffered the positive infliction of pain and torments in body, soul, and spirit (poena sensus).

I don't know about you, but I was and am undeserving of such a sacrifice. JESUS, THE SPOTLESS SON OF GOD, DRANK THE DREGS OF THE CUP FOR ME!-WHICH HIS FATHER GAVE HIM! (Jn. 18:11; Psa. 75:8; Jer. 25:15; Matt. 26:38).

MAY GOD STIR OUR HEARTS TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIS SON AND TO OUR FELLOW MAN. MAY THE LAMB OF GOD "RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERINGS." AMEN.

REBEL AGAINST HELL!!

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore,

and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, BUT CAST THE BAD AWAY. SO SHALL IT BE AT THE END OF THE WORLD: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, AND SHALL CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE: THERE SHALL BE WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH" (Matt. 13:47-50).

HELL Burning with brimstone and stinking pitch, a place of GROSS DARKNESS and full of DAMNED INHABITANTS who can NEVER ESCAPE! No, NEVER!!

How horrible to be excluded from the glories of Heaven; excluded from the peaceful presence of the Almighty God; the crucified, resurrected, ascended, and glorified Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost!

"Oh, my soul-art thou able to dwell with this DEVOURING FIRE? Canst thou incline to dwell with EVERLASTING BURNING? Canst thou think of parting with thy God FOREVER?"