Doctrinal Misconceptions - Protestant Apocryphal/Teaching True or False - According to the Bible.... - satan is ruler of Hell (Yes, I know it is not capitalized. I refuse to give this wicked demon the dignity of capitalization.) - Hell is separation from God, complete loneliness. Hell is characterized by loneliness - God speaking directly to a man is not necessarily an indication of the man’s godliness Dear Prayer Warriors, Each week, I will be posting a series of true and false questions, with the answers appearing below. The object of these questions is for you to test yourself--not a test of obscure Bible trivia but a test of whether you are holding on to Biblical revelation or to myths and legends passed down by ignorant men. You should ask yourself, “If I have believed this myth, what other myths do I believe?” The goal is that you will be challenged to faithfully read and study the Holy Scriptures and base your convictions on the holy, eternal, inerrant written Word of God.
1. FALSE - satan is ruler of Hell – Confusing medieval and fictional writings with the holy, eternal, inerrant, written Word of God is common. Also added to this confusion are the many false depictions of Hell painted by medieval and renaissance painters, displayed in the great museums of the world. Then there are the many false depictions of Hell in modern media such as TV and movies. It is relatively simple to sort this all out if you are willing to submit yourself to the written revelation of God – the Holy Scriptures. The following passages make it clear that - a. The fallen angels (including satan) do not rule Hell but are confined to Hell under the judgement of God 2 Pet 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into Hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;” b. The devil is specifically mentioned as spending eternity in Hell, while being tortured by fire. The devil is not in Hell torturing people but, instead, being tortured there himself, with the fallen angels (demons). Rev 20:10 “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” c. God, not satan, is in charge of Hell. God, not satan, is pouring out His wrath upon the unregenerate. Those in Hell experience the wrath of God--not that of satan, for satan is a fellow recipient of this wrath. Revelation 14:10-11 “ he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
2. FALSE - Hell is separation from God, complete loneliness. Hell is characterized by loneliness. This is a common myth taught by people whose sensibilities are offended at the thought of God eternally judging the unregenerate in Hell. Our sensibilities, though, must be subjected to the holy, eternal, inerrant, written Word of God. Where our feelings collide with Scriptural truth, our feelings must be brought into conformity with the holy Scripture. The revelation of God through Holy Scripture clearly teaches that not only is Hell not the absence of God but the intimate and direct experience of God’s infinite wrath. The erroneous conclusion by many, that the equal and opposite experience of Heaven (fellowship with God) would be loneliness and separation from God in Hell, is wrong. Hell is never presented by God as the opposite of Heaven but is the place of God’s eternal judgment, which He personally carries out. The sacrifice of Christ “satisfies” God--only in the case of those who personally receive Him as their Lord and Savior. This is accomplished through the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. Those who receive Christ as their Lord and Savior are justified in the sight of God. Their sins were placed upon Christ while He was on the cross and God’s wrath was then satisfied in the person of Christ. Isaiah 53:11 “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” However, for those who do not receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, God’s wrath remains. God does not cease being offended by sin. God does not cease being angered by sin. God does not cease to demand judgment of sin. That anger, wrath and judgment was meted out upon Christ and satisfied in Christ--but only for those who have personally received Christ as their Lord and Savior. For all others the wrath of God remains and will be satisfied through their eternal torment in the flames of Hell. John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Rev 14:10-11 “he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Hebrews 12:29 “for our God is a consuming fire”
3. TRUE - God speaking directly to a man is not an necessarily indication of that man’s godliness. Simply because a man claims he has had “a word from God” does not make him godly. Many pagans have had “a word from God.” Examples of this are: Abimelech, the pagan king of Gerar, in Genesis chapter twenty Balaam, the pagan prophet, in Numbers chapters twenty two through twenty four Belshazzar, the pagan king of the Medes and the Persians, in Daniel chapter five The pagan sorcerers known as The Magi in Matthew chapter two It is also important to note that, in the New Covenant Church Age, the Word of God is found in the Holy Scriptures--not the many false prophets, false apostles and false teachers who claim to have had a “word from God.” For those who claim to have had a “word from God,” I ask this simple question – “Give me the distinct tonal variations which distinguish the voice of God from the voice of satan.” They, of course, cannot. They can tell the difference between the holy, eternal, inerrant written Word of God - the Holy Scriptures - from the pagan Koran, the pagan Book of Mormon, the pagan Jehovah’s Witness Watch Tower Magazine, the pagan Hindu Book of the Dead and more. If you want the Word of God, then go to the Holy Scripture.
Now ask yourself, “What other myths do I believe simply because I have not submitted them to the authority of the holy, eternal, inerrant, written Word of God?” By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon Director – Grace Community Int. Grace Community International goes mobile! The Grace Community International free app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. Now available as well on Android Listen to sermons and workshops delivered at conferences around the world. Keep up-to-date with Rev. Mahon's blog. View Grace Community International ministry photo albums. Search "Grace Community International" on the App Store today!
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