The Invisible War

11/01/23 – 11/04/23

The Realities of Heaven and Hell

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  11/04/23

Read Matthew 25:31–46.

Although Jesus routinely warned people about the everlasting suffering that awaits those who die in their sins, most preachers today avoid the subject of hell entirely. But we must talk about the reality of hell.

First of all, Jesus said hell is a place of confinement. In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus described it as a prison. But hell is far worse than any earthly prison. You see, a prisoner on this side of eternity can only confine a person’s body; it can do nothing to contain their spirit. A person in prison is free to worship, to imagine, to dream. Their soul cannot be locked up. Hell, on the other hand, is a prison for body, soul, and spirit. There is no hope.

Second, hell is a place of utter darkness (see Matthew 22:13, 25:30). Imagine no sunrises or sunsets, no day or night, no twilight or dawn—just blackness, always and forever. And it’s not just a place of physical darkness; it’s a world of moral and spiritual darkness, too, where despair and fear never end.

Third, hell is a place of perpetual suffering, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51). People in hell will be in constant agony and pain without relief. It grieves the heart. And I pray this Truth will open eyes and free people from bondage to sin and Satan.

Fourth, hell is a place of terrible loneliness. The souls suffering in hell do not have fellowship. There is no commiserating, no friendship, no understanding passed from one to another. Instead, hell is solitary confinement. No matter how crowded it is, hell will be a place of utter and complete isolation.

Of course, Jesus doesn’t merely save us from hell; He also saves us for heaven. Let’s look at the believer’s destination—for this, too, is a real place. Most importantly, in heaven, we will enjoy uninterrupted fellowship with God forever—face to face. We’ll finally be at rest from temptation and the devil’s harassment so that we can serve the Lord perfectly, as we were always meant to. We’ll be made whole. We’ll be renewed physically so that we can endure the majesty of the presence of God and worship Him without being crushed (see Job 19:25-27). For, in heaven, God’s character will be fully revealed in us, with no sin to hinder His goodness in us. There’s no greater glory than that.

Prayer: Father, thank You for preparing a place for me with You forever. As I consider Your Word on heaven and hell, may I sense the urgency of inviting others to enter Your eternal Kingdom by the blood of Christ. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32).