RUSHWAVE: Establishing Believers in the Christian Faith

from The Judgment God Desires to Withhold

Chapter 21: The Attitude of those in Hell

Those in hell hate God, love sin, and are completely and utterly intransigent as respects evil.

What is the attitude of those who face God’s judgment and are sentenced to hell? We know what they were like on earth, but what about when they finally stand before God and are judged? When they are subject to fiery torment, darkness and the absence of all God’s mercies, we know they are in great mental anguish. They weep and are in agony. But how do they respond while undergoing their suffering?

Some think people in hell are truly repentant, crying out for forgiveness only to have God sternly reply “It is too late! You had your chance while on earth! Now you must suffer your judgment!” But this conception is far removed from the biblical portrayal of hell. Several observations can be made.

Hell’s captives never have a broken and contrite spirit. This is evident because of God’s unchanging nature. David said:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

God eternally delights in showing mercy, and He takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11). But those in hell are never of a broken spirit.

No doubt people in hell are weeping and experiencing mental anguish, but they are sorrowful for the wrong reason. They only possess a self-centered sorrow, not a godly sorrow. These two radically different types of sorrow are clearly seen in Cain and David.

When God pronounced judgment on Cain for murdering his brother Abel, Cain’s response was a self-centered sorrow. “My punishment is too great to bear … I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me” (Genesis 4:13-14). Cain’s response would be similar to a murderer responding to a life prison sentence with “This penalty is too great! I had so many plans in life. What will happen to me in prison!” Such a response shows the guilty party is only sorrowful for himself and what he has to suffer. But there is no consciousness of the vileness of his deed before God combined with a humble appeal for God’s gracious pardon.

Contrast Cain’s response with that of David who had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered. How did David respond to God? He said “Be gracious to me, O God, according to your lovingkindness … blot out my transgressions … wash me thoroughly from my iniquity … Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight … Create in me a clean heart …” (Psalm 51). David’s response is a broken and contrite heart, and reflects godly sorrow.

Hell’s captives never have a heart attitude like David. They are never crushed before God by the weight of their own sins and humbly ask for His gracious pardon. They never do this.

Hell’s captives are absolutely intransigent of their evil works. It is not if they had opportunity they would cease being covetous, malicious, or lustful. The evil heart they had in their earthly life is the same heart they possess in hell.

The book of Revelation is a prophecy of God’s judgment of this evil world. In that day God brings numerous plagues on the earth. But fallen men do not repent no matter what fierce judgments God brings.

A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone … The rest of mankind …did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. Revelation 9:18-21
Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory … the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. Revelation 16:9–11

The attitude of sinners judged while on earth in the day of judgment continues into their eternal punishment. In hell even though they know they are being subject to fiery torment and darkness for their unrighteous deeds, they are absolutely unrepentant.

Hell’s captives are enraged at God. We know during their earthly lives unbelievers hated God and persecuted His people. And in the day of judgment they “blaspheme God because of their pains and their sores” (Revelation 16:11). There is no reason to think hell’s torments has any different effect on them. Their unfulfilled rage is likely part of their torment.

Seven times Jesus associated hell as a place where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Weeping obviously signifies pain and suffering. But the phrase “gnashing of teeth” may reflect the intensity of anguish, the anger at the righteous, or both. The phrase is frequently used in Psalms to describe the hatred of the wicked against the righteous, such as Psalm 37:12 which says “The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.” And when Stephen preached and charged the leaders with resisting the Holy Spirit, they were likewise exceedingly angry and gnashed at him with their teeth (Acts 7:54).

When the wicked stand before the Lord and are made aware they are not entering the kingdom, they object and say “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy … cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” (Matthew 7:21). In their response we can detect both bewilderment and annoyance — they are not posing a submissive inquiry with a view to accept the Lord’s judgments. What they are saying is, “Lord, Lord, certainly You do not mean we are excluded from Your kingdom. You most assuredly must be mistaken. We performed miracles! We cast out demons! How could you regard us as unworthy!” They are perplexed and confused over their rejection, and it arouses their indignation. And when He says “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness,” is there any reason to think they will accept His verdict? Will they become docile, submissive and have a change of heart?

Hell’s captives have the same character as the devil and his fallen angels. Scripture describes the devil as a murderer, adversary, enemy, tempter, liar, robber, and accuser. He is conniving, deceitful, cruel, merciless, remorseless, brutal, and hateful. But Jesus and His apostles frequently classified those who were hostile to God as the devil’s children. Jesus said

You are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God … You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. John 8:40–44

And in the final judgment, Jesus tells the wicked:

Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41

Sinful man goes to the same place the devil and his fallen angels go because they are of the same character and nature.

Every person born into this world is by nature at enmity with God and rebellious. In this sense, all mankind resembles the devil. Those in hell never believed, so they never underwent the supernatural transformation by God to make them disposed towards righteousness. They never became children of God, but remained children of the devil.

Even when those sentenced to hell experience the full brunt of God’s wrath and are subject to great suffering, they do not have a broken and contrite spirit. They do not repent of their evil deeds. They remain angry at God, and hate Him. In doing so they aligned themselves with Satan in his rebellion against God.

from The Judgment God Desires to Withhold

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