Is the language of Hell symbolic?

Question from Jesse:

Is the language about Hell in the Bible real or symbolic?

Pastor Josh's answer: First and foremost, Hell is real. It is eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God, a suffering torment from which there is no escape and no relief. Some within Evangelicalism have begun teaching the idea that Hell is just a metaphor for 'ceasing to exist'. But the Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. In fact, most of what we know about Hell comes from the lips of Jesus himself.

Your question relates to the nature of the language Scripture uses concerning Hell. It is described as an "everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41) and a "furnace of fire" where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:50); a place "where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48); where the unbeliever "will be tormented with fire and brimstone" (Revelation 14:10) and the “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day and night”(Revelation 14:11).

Even if Scripture used metaphorical language it doesn't detract from what is being described. Sometimes people make the silly statement, "Oh that language is just symbolic", but they never stop to consider what exactly is being symbolized. Metaphors and symbols point to a larger reality then themselves--and Hell is a big, horrible, terrible place. Ultimately it doesn't really matter if Scripture's description of Hell is graphically literal or gruesomely symbolic. Either way, it is infinitely worse than anything words can describe.

R.C. Sproul puts it this way:

"I suspect they are symbols, but I find no relief in that. We must not think of them as being merely symbols. It is probable that the sinner in hell would prefer a literal lake of fire as his eternal abode to the reality of hell represented in the lake of fire image. If these images are indeed symbols, then we must conclude that the reality is worse than the symbol suggests. The function of symbols is to point beyond themselves to a higher or more intense state of actuality than the symbol itself can contain. That Jesus used the most awful symbols imaginable to describe hell is no comfort to those who see them simply as symbols" [R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1992), pp. 285-287].

Because of Hell's unfathomable fury, Scripture warns us of its existence while simultaneously providing humanity with a way of escape. Revelation 20:15 tells us that "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the Lake of Fire." Realizing the power and holiness of God, the Philippian prison guard cried out "...Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, 'believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:30, 31).

Hell is nothing short of the full wrath of a sovereign God poured out upon an individual for all of eternity. But in His mercy, He has provided salvation through Jesus Christ. Still, many choose to reject Christ. Considering the consequence, such a refusal is illogical and impossible to comprehend. This is why the author of Hebrews could ask in wonder, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3).

Michael Jackson and the Moral Compass of Evangelicalism

Michael Jackson and the
Moral Compass of Evangelicalism

Everyone seems to be weighing in on the death of Michael Jackson. Song writers, vocal artists, actresses, politicians, and news anchormen are offering their tributes and perspectives on the life and music of the famed singer. It is, of course, no surprise to see many Christians commenting on this issue.

What is surprising is the number of Christian bloggers condemning any believer who dares say anything negative about Jackson. Some offer excuses that are little more than psychobabble, (such as, "you must understand he never really had a childhood"). I suppose then we should overlook the scores of half-naked elementary-aged catamites he "cuddled" with in his bedroom.

Others take a position that could be called axiological schizophrenia ("we must overlook his obvious [ethical] faults because his phenomenal musical [atheistic] abilities"). Perhaps we have too quickly forgotten the second phrase in Martin Luther King's dream that one day his children would not be " judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character".

My personal favorite are those who resort to pious-sounding "feel-goodism"("this is a tender time for his family, so we should only say positive things about Michael. After all, that is what Jesus would do"). Really, somehow I doubt Jesus would write a blog post praising the Moonwalk or the "programmatic masterpiece" we call 'Thriller'.

I remember one of the Father Brown stories written by Chesterton. In the story, two young men engage in a pistol duel. One is killed, and the other flees the scene--supposedly in great remorse. When the man is finally tracked down, the priest is the only one willing to decry the earlier action as murder. The 'pious feel-gooders' accuse Father Brown of mean-spirited judgmentalism, claiming we must "forgive this man for a tragic mistake he made in his youth". Later in the story it is revealed that the man who is alive is really the man everyone thought was dead. He had killed the other man in cold blood, switched identities, and ran off. As the others become enraged and demand justice, Father Brown stands ready to forgive (because the man had come to him repentant). Turning to the crowd the priest says something like, "You have to pardon me if I didn't take your earlier accusations against me with much seriousness. You see, you were willing to forgive this man when you didn't think he really did anything worth forgiving".

I wonder if this somehow relates to the approach many Evangelicals have taken regarding Jackson. They are enraged when other believers decry Jackson's ethical aberrations: pedophilia, self-indulgence, and lyrical humanism. Perhaps the reason is because they see no real problem. Certainly the pedophilia was never proven, but the self-indulgence and humanistic musical genre stand clearly evidenced. For many of these Evangelicals, Jackson was a musical hero who captivated their hearts and imaginations. Lacking any discernment, Jackson's life and music were idolized, and--like Demetrius the Ephesian idol-maker--they cannot stand to see their idol's flaws when held next to the Gospel-light.

Christians have a moral and biblical obligation bring the Gospel to bear on such situations. Yes--we must be operating within the context of gentleness and love. But,these were never meant to be displayed in the absence of truth. The Gospel, by definition, is "truth in love". In the absence of truth, God-authored love doesn't exist. Far too many have betrayed the Gospel by seeking to suppress the truth-love of Jesus' message. Instead of cherishing those whose "feet bring the Gospel of peace", they would stone them.

It makes one wonder who they are really worshipping.

JG

Daily Devo - Tuesday, 7/7/2009

"The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you."
Psalm 102:28 (ESV)

One of the hardest aspects of counseling and pastoral ministry is when I must work with a child who has been sexually abused. It is painful and gut-wrenching, not only because of the pain the child is experiencing, but also because of the pain I know they will experience later in life. Even a child in Junior High is too young to fully understand the emotional damage that was inflicted upon them.

I remember vividly once painful experience. A late elementary-aged girl was referred to me for counseling and was brought to my office by her court-mandated guardian. Although we had never met previously, as the girl entered the office she rushed over to me and gave me a great big hug. Her body seemed to almost melt into mine. Still clinging to me in a deep embrace, which was awkward for both adults in the room, she said "I'm so glad you met with me, you seem very nice." It was all I could do to fight back tears. This young girl had been so sexualized and abused that she knew no other way of relating to older men. Instead of protecting and loving, her parents had abused and destroyed.

The psalmist in the verse above cites a future promise, but also a partial present reality. God's plan is for families to be healthy, loving, and stable. When we give our lives to Christ, and build our families upon His foundation of love and truth, then our children can be raised in relative security. Even in the most harrowing of circumstances, the children of Christ-centered parents experience the love and care of a faithful mom and dad.

The consequences for rejecting God's righteous rule over our lives--and our parenting--has drastic consequences. But the joy of embracing His plan for our families can be a blessing for generations to come.

JG

Daily Devo - Monday, 07/06/2009

"Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1:31

After a major basketball game a group of reporters surrounded an all-star NBA athlete. Earlier that evening he had played at optimum level. The crowd cheered, the coach grinned, the announcers raved, and even the referees seemed to be in awe. The player had dominated the floor. His teammates merely fed him the ball even as the opponents feebly attempted to take it away. By all accounts it was a magisterial performance.

As the player made his way out of the locker room, wearing an expensive suit and head held high, the cameras flashed and the reporters fired their questions. One young reporter yelled out, "why do you think you played so well tonight?" With a smile as wide as his face would permit the player confidently responded "because of natural ability, of course! I was amazing tonight."

Humanism is such a pitiful religion. One man pits himself against the other and all struggle for the place of honor and prestige. What is granted to us by nature becomes something for which we think we deserve praise. I recently heard a nationally-recognized pastor say that his mega-church became so large not because of prayer or faithfulness, but simply because he was talented. He went on to encourage other pastors to develop their talent under the belief that this is the only way to grow a church. The sin of humanism--a relentless focus on self--finds its way even into the hearts of men who claim to know better.

Christ frees us from all such foolishness. Whatever gifts we may possess have merely been loaned to us from Christ. The strength is his, the ability is his, and therefore the glory is his. There is no one amazing in Christ's kingdom save Christ alone. This amazing Lord chose to use us not because of who we are, but despite who we are.

JG

Daily Devo - Friday, 07/03/2009

“How long will you go limping with two different opinions?
If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal then follow him”
1 Kings 18:21

At a youth event one of my leaders had a conversation with a young teenage girl who was new to the group. We had just finished a session on the truth claims of Christianity and, although the girl was pleasant, she showed little interest in the topic. She was, however, very interested in talking about her own views on faith. That is when things got interesting.

When the youth leader asked about the girl's faith perspective the young woman replied, "I consider myself a Christian and an atheist." A bit stunned, the leader replied "I don't think that's possible." "Of course it is", the girl replied, "there's no reason both can't be true".

This young girl failed to see the truth that towered before her. Either the universe was created by an all-powerful God or it was not. If there is a God, he must be sovereign and we owe him our allegiance. If not, we owe allegiance to no one but ourselves. A Christian understands that God is the supreme standard. An atheist believes that mankind is the ultimate measure of all things. The two philosophies are not only incompatible, they are at enmity.

The heartbreaking truth is that this young girl only verbalizes the way many Christians actually live. While proclaiming to believe in God, they live as if He does not exist. They give lip service to God's moral standards though in reality live according to their own. Far too many professing believers worship God for an hour on Sunday, but then worship their own desires for the rest of the week.

The truth that stands before all of us is that if Jesus is true, then everything else is false.

JG

Daily Devo - Thursday, 07/02/2009

"Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to
inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?"
2 Kings 1:6

Some time ago I engaged in a conversation regarding Christians using Yoga. A prominent Emergent pastor & leader was advocating such practices, and openly hosted Yoga sessions within his church body. They claimed this was a harmless spiritual and physical exercise that helps people relax and be at peace. When asked whether or not I thought this was OK, my initial response was "I guess its fine".

I regretted those words almost as soon as I used them. Yoga, by its very nature, is an eastern religion that is incompatible with Christianity. Far from being a harmless physical exercise, it is a bold religious statement regarding how one achieves spiritual peace. Its pursuit for peace is entirely in the wrong direction. Yoga searches inward and instructs the individual to empty himself in order to find the peace which is naturally within. Christianity understands that peace & fulfillment can never be found within ourselves. Instead, we must be filled--not emptied--with the truth & grace of Christ.

Romans 5:1 tells believers, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This promise come directly from the lips of Jesus himself. In John 24:37 he says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Why would we want to, or even need to, borrow the practices of pagan religions to achieve that which is a gift of God? This gift is the gift of knowing the nearness of our God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

The study note on 1 John 2:16 in John MacArthur’s NASB study bible says “While the world’s philosphies and ideologies and much that it offers may appear attractive and appealing, that is deception. It’s true and pervasive nature is evil, harmful, ruinous, and satanic. Its deadly theories are raised up against the knowledge of God and hold souls of men captive.”

Is there no Christ that we would then run to such silly myths to find true peace?

JG

Alcohol - The Tie that Binds Mormons & Fundamentalists

It seems the only people nowadays that think alcohol is inherently evil are the rabid fundamentalists and the cultic Mormons. Blessed be the ties that bind, eh? Well, the ties that used to bind anyway.

As reported by World magazine (June 4, 2009):

Some of Utah’s prohibition-minded alcohol laws will be officially loosened today. Beer lovers may celebrate the rift in the so-called “Zion Curtain” that has up until this day prohibited bars from operating normally in Utah, as establishments will be able to serve alcohol to customers without first making them join a “private club.” The state’s traditional hard line on alcohol can be traced directly to the Mormon Church, which frowns upon alcohol consumption

Isn't it a shame when the only other people who agree with the Fundamentalist's "using alcohol as a beverage is a sin" position are Christ-denying cultists? Its even more shameful when even the cultist begin to see common sense.

Note: I am in no way encouraging the use of alcohol. I do not drink it, I do not intend to, and I actively discourage it. I am just dumbfounded how conservative Christians think they have the right to take their moral directives from the American prohibitionist movement rather than from Scripture. Do we really think we have the right to claim a holiness code that would have excluded even Jesus?

JG