So far this year, the United States has seen some pretty crazy weather. We have experienced extreme storms from the West Coast to the East Coast. Unusually high temperatures smothered the South this week.
An acquaintance told me he felt like it was hot as Hell. Most people reference hell in times of high temperatures because they understand the basics about the characteristics of Hell.
- Extremely hot
- Dark
- Chaos
I understand it sounds a lot like the world we live in today. However, the truth is no one knows just how bad Hell will be. Unfortunately, most people have become desensitized to the severity of hell. Even if they understand it is the final resting place for everything wicked in this world (Ezekiel 31:16-17.).
Wicked
The Bible is clear that Hell is where the wicked spend eternity as punishment for their evil ways (Revelation 21:8.) However, Hell is prepared for Satan and the angels who believed his lies and followed him.
Due to mankind’s disobedience in the garden, the creation became cursed and those who disobey God are also sentenced to Hell because of their wickedness.
Hell is a place of both physical and spiritual separation from God for the rest of eternity. The prophet Moses tells us that when God saw the wickedness of man, He regretted ever creating the human race (Genesis 6:5-7.)
God created man to be in community with Himself; however, the creation chose the wickedness of Satan over the greatness of God. The earth became so wicked God eventually decided to destroy it with the great flood (Genesis 6:17-9:17.)
Râshâ
In the Old Testament the prophets consistently talk about the evil in the world and warned God’s people to be different (Deuteronomy 32:8, Psalm 5:4, Isaiah 5:20.) The Hebrew word most often used in the Old Testament for wicked is Râshâ and it means, “Guilty, wicked, and condemned.
God’s people still kept turning from God and wanting earthly greatness. They eventually became desensitized to the harshness of Hell. In Judaism, there are seven levels of Hell allotted to people depending on the degree of their wickedness.
- Sheol
- Abaddon
- Beer Shahat
- Tit ha-Yawen
- Sha’are Mawet
- Sha’are Zalmawet
- Gehenna
The New Testament writers all emphasize the need for God’s people live right and not practice the wickedness of the world (Romans 12:21, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Philippians 3:2, 2 Peter 2:3-4.)
Jesus is clear that those who are wicked will spend eternity in Hell (Matthew 13:24-30; 22:1-14.) The wicked want their heaven now instead of spending it in Heaven with God for the rest of eternity.
This is why the New Testament writers warned the church about the rise of wickedness in the last days (1 Corinthians 4:5, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 1 John 2: 18, 2 Peter 3:3-4, Jude 1:7.) We already live in a wicked world, but in the last days God’s people will become even more corrupt.
Corruption
The first Adam’s desire for more led to his corruption in the garden and his wickedness separated the creation from God. Sin tainted the bloodline of humanity.
Ever since then, the world has become more and more corrupt. God’s commands to His people are meant to set them apart from the wicked ways of this cursed world, not make us great rulers of it.
After this corrupt world ends humanity will spend eternity in one of two places.
God’s people don’t get to choose between obeying God or following the wicked ways of the world. Recently there’s been lots of controversy over a popular evangelical who supports the wicked leader of the GOP.
The day is coming when Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. Sheep obey
their Shepherd, goats don’t, because they are râshâ!
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