is hell separation from God?
And this is an interesting question
because a lot of pastors, a lot of teachers,
in fact, even on social media or videos,
a lot of the people that have a Christian podcast or show,
they always try to soften hell by saying
it's just separation from God.
Now, of course, anything that's being repeated
this often and used by so many people,
a lot of times has an element of truth to it.
And here's the truth, is that hell does have
a separation from God factor.
The Bible says, having the understanding darkened,
now this is talking about Gentiles,
it's talking about unsaved people,
being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them
because of the blindness of their heart.
And why I want to go to this verse is
there's already a separation from God
that exists when you're not saved.
Even if you're not even in hell,
you're already, according to the scripture,
alienated from the life of God.
So God wants us to be saved and then on top of that,
have fellowship with him.
And so there's all kinds of degrees of separation
when it comes to God himself
and how close you can draw to him.
The Bible instructs us to draw nigh unto the Lord.
And so it's important to understand
that when we define certain doctrines,
separation from God, what are we talking about exactly?
Because unsaved people are separated from God
and they're not even in hell yet.
And in fact, if they get saved,
then they'll no longer have that same level of separation.
Now, when it comes to hell itself,
when people die and they're not saved,
they haven't trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation,
the Bible's crystal clear that they're gonna go to hell.
Some people would say,
is that complete and total separation from God?
Well, I want to go to another verse.
Let's go to Revelation chapter 14 in the Bible.
And we have to understand that God is a Trinity.
And also the Bible teaches that God is omnipresent
in many different ways.
The Bible talked about if you go up to heaven,
if you dig down into hell, behold, thou art there.
So it's impossible to escape God's omnipresence.
And the Bible says in Revelation chapter 14,
look what it says in verse number 10.
The same, talking about those
who take the mark of the beast,
shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture
into the cup of his indignation.
And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels
and in the presence of the lamb.
So according to the Bible, even if you're in hell,
you're still in the presence of the holy angels
and you're in the presence of the lamb.
So technically speaking, there is a presence of the Lord
that those who are in hell are still going to experience.
Now they're experiencing his wrath.
They're experiencing his anger.
They're experiencing his judgment.
But at the same time, they are experiencing
a presence of the Lord in the sense
that it's through the lamb here.
But I would say that obviously there is a separation
when being in hell, you're separated from the tree of life,
you're separated from the joys of heaven,
you're separated from being in God's presence on earth.
And so there's multiple aspects to the presence of the Lord.
And so there is gonna be an element of disappointment
being in hell by not being with God in heaven
and being on the new earth, the new heaven and new earth.
The Bible talks about how those Jews
that did not believe in Jesus Christ are gonna see
many come from the east and west
and they're gonna sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
but they themselves are gonna be thrust out.
And so an element of hell is the fact
that you've been rejected and cast out
and you're not gonna be with God.
Makes me think of another verse in Revelation 22.
The Bible says, blessed are they that do his commandments
that they may have right to the tree of life
and may enter in through the gates into the city,
for without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers
and murderers and idolaters
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
So notice, according to the Bible,
there are people that are being separated from.
It says for without, meaning they're on the outsides.
They're not able to come in.
They're not gonna be in the gates in the city.
There is that level of separation
and it's showing here that those who are sinners,
some people would look at this list and say,
oh, well, you can't sin then,
otherwise you're gonna go to hell.
But the reason why it's painting these people as sinners
is because they haven't been redeemed.
Their sins haven't been forgiven.
They haven't been given the new man,
which cannot sin.
John chapter eight, verse 21.
Then said Jesus again unto them,
I go my way and ye shall seek me
and shall die in your sins.
Whither I go, ye cannot come.
Then said the Jews, will he kill himself?
Because he saith, whither I go, you cannot come.
And he said unto them, ye are from beneath.
I am from above.
Ye are of this world.
I am not of this world.
I said, therefore, unto you,
that ye shall die in your sins.
For if ye believe not that I am he,
ye shall die in your sins.
So again, a great quote here
talking about how people are gonna die in their sins.
And this group of people in Revelation 22
are in their sins.
And so therefore, they're not able to enter in.
There is a separation.
So is hell separation from God?
That was the original question.
I would say in a sense, yes.
In a sense, they are cast out
of the new heaven and the new earth.
In a sense, yes, they are without the heavenly city.
Yes, they are without the joys and the pleasures of God.
But it's also no in the sense
that they're still in the presence of the lamb.
And so it kinda depends on
how people are framing this question.
But I think the reason why people are doing this
is because they're trying to get away
from the seriousness of hell.
Because while that is one aspect of suffering,
it's much more than that.
The Bible says that they're gonna be tormented
in fire and brimstone.
If we go back to Revelation 14, I already read this,
but let's pay attention to that verse again.
In Revelation 14, verse 10, it says,
"'The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
"'which is poured out without mixture
"'into the cup of his indignation,
"'and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
"'in the presence of the holy angels
"'and in the presence of the lamb.'"
So sure, is hell separation from God?
In a sense, sure.
But you know what's just absolutely true?
It's being tormented with fire and brimstone.
It's constant torment that never ends.