Kirk Cameron, Controversy, and the Reality of Hell
A video clip from Kirk Cameron caused a firestorm over the weekend on social media in which he stated that he no longer believes that hell is a place of eternal conscious torment. He has embraced an alternative view called annihilationism or conditional mortality.
Does the Bible teach that hell is indeed a literal place of eternal conscious torment?
The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus clearly teaches some truths about the reality of hell.
Luke 16:19–31 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
Two central truths emerge from this parable.
Truth One: Hell is a real place for those who do not repent.
Hell is a place of eternal conscious torment. This is not a popular teaching, but it is not only the teaching of the church for the past 2000 years.
The Athanasian Creed (one of the three orthodox creeds of the universal church) affirms hell as eternal:
Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
And shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting;
And they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
In addition, as Reformed Baptists, Emmanuel Baptist Church adheres to the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. Chapter 32 on the Last Judgment affirms the doctrine of hell as eternal torment.
For at that time the righteous will go into everlasting life and receive fullness of joy and glory with everlasting rewards in the presence of the Lord. But the wicked, who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, will be thrown into everlasting torments and punished with everlasting destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.
Luke’s account of the rich man and Lazarus does not give a comprehensive picture of hell, and much of the imagery here is symbolic because it is a parable. But Jesus tells this to provide us with a sense of the overall weight and soberness of hell.
John Calvin said, “That for the unbeliever are prepared terrifying torments which can no more be conceived by our minds than the infinite glory of God.”[1]
Just like we really can’t conceive in our minds all the glories of what heaven will be like, we also cannot conceive in our minds all the horrors of hell.
Nevertheless, this parable offers some insight, and I want to remind you that it comes from the lips of Jesus Himself.
We see three key teachings about hell.
First, people in hell will be conscious.
Notice that the rich man is aware of his surroundings. He is conscious that he is in hell.
He’s not asleep, unconscious, or unaware of what is going on.
J. C. Ryle said, “Hell is nothing more than truth known too late.”[2]
Second, people in hell will suffer extreme anguish.
In verse 23, the rich man is in torment. In verse 24, he is in anguish in flames and wants just a little drop of water on his tongue. In verse 25, Lazarus is comforted in heaven while the rich man is in anguish. In verse 28, hell is called a place of torment.
Multiple times, Jesus describes hell as a place of extreme suffering and flames.
Mark 9:48-49 . . . thrown in hell where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
Revelation 14:10–11 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
Revelation 20:14–15 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
So, hell is a literal place where people are not asleep, but fully conscious. And hell is also a literal place of extreme suffering, anguish, and flames.
Third, hell is a fixed, eternal reality.
We see this in verse 26. A great chasm has been fixed. The original language helps us better understand this. The verb tense signifies that God has permanently fixed this great chasm. God has done it, and it cannot be altered.
The word “fixed” means to set firmly in place and cannot be moved. It is fixed and cannot be altered.
Again, let me state it clearly: Jesus teaches us that hell is a literal place of eternal conscious torment.
People will be conscious and fully aware. People will be in extreme anguish. And once you die and go to hell, that is your final destination. It is a permanent fixed reality.
Many Christians do not like these teachings on hell and have come up with some false or less-than-biblical views of hell.
Let me briefly explain three false views of hell:
First, people who go to hell will have a second chance after death.
While this may be an attractive idea, it is evident that this great chasm has been fixed. Once you’re in hell, according to verse 26, you cannot pass from hell to heaven.
Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Second, some sinners go to purgatory in hopes they can be prayed out by someone still living.
This is the traditional Roman Catholic view.
The Bible is very clear that upon death, the souls of unbelievers go to hell. Not purgatory, which is a place that they can endure enough cleansing to pay for the sins they committed on earth and somehow get out. Even if someone pays an indulgence to get you out.
Third, after the wicked have suffered in hell for a time, God will “annihilate” them so that they no longer exist.
This is called annihilationism and denies the eternality of hell.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 . . . when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed
There is no second chance after death to escape hell once you’re there. Hell has no exit.
There is no purgatory or halfway place that you can somehow hope to pay for your sins and get out of after you’ve died.
There is no destroying or annihilating unbelievers in hell after they’ve suffered for a while.
Hell is eternal conscious torment.
The reality of hell should sadden us.
There is an urgency to believe in Jesus as the only way. He is the only One who can bridge this deep chasm.
This great chasm is like the Grand Canyon—a gulf or expanse so massive that you cannot possibly jump over from one side to the other. Even if you got a running start, you would only be able to jump so far and then fall to your death.
The only way to get across one side of the chasm to the other is to walk across a bridge. Jesus is the Bridge. He is the only way.
And you need to place your faith in Jesus as the only way to heaven BEFORE you die, because afterwards it will be too late.
So, the first truth we see in this parable is that hell is a real place for those who do not repent.
Truth Two: The Bible is sufficient to warn you to escape the reality of hell.
Because the rich man knows he cannot escape hell, what does he do? He begs Father Abraham to send someone—even if it means someone from the dead—to go back and warn his five brothers of the dangers of hell.
This wealthy man, while alive, did not listen to God’s Word. He was Jewish and probably grew up attending synagogue, where he would hear the Law and the Prophets—the Old Testament—read and preached.
His five brothers were also probably religious and grew up in a synagogue as good Jews, but they never listened to God’s Word.
It’s interesting the wording the rich man uses—send someone to “warn” them. The meaning of the word “warn” is very intensive and could mean to “witness” or “urge with authority.”
We see an attitude of entitlement here, where the rich man could be saying that if God had warned him sufficiently while he was still alive, he would not be in hell. It’s God’s fault for not sending a miracle or messenger to me to warn me before I die.
This man had enough information about Jesus from the Old Testament to place his faith in the Messiah and be saved before he died.
The five brothers who have not died yet have Moses and the Prophets and need to hear them. This refers to the Old Testament. The Old Testament is enough for these men to know how to be saved and to place their faith in Jesus.
The problem is not the Old Testament, but their refusal to listen because of their hard hearts.
This is very similar to what Jesus told the Pharisees.
John 5:39–40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
The Scriptures Jesus refers to here are the Old Testament. Jesus says the Old Testament bears witness about Him. The entire Old Testament, from Genesis all the way to Malachi, prophesies about the coming Messiah.
Think about the imagery of Abraham sacrificing his only son on the mountain and God intervening at the last minute with the substitute ram in the thicket.
Think about the picture of the Passover lamb, the blood, and the sacrificial system pointing to Jesus.
Think about Isaiah 53, which gives us graphic details of Jesus on the cross suffering for our sins.
Think about the lineage of King David and all the types and shadows of Jesus.
What does Paul tell Timothy about the Old Testament?
2 Timothy 3:14–15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
The sacred writings, namely the Old Testament, led Timothy to faith in Christ.
But for the rich man, the written Scripture is not enough to prove the reality of heaven and hell and the need to repent and trust in Jesus.
There needs to be some kind of huge, spectacular sign like someone coming back from the dead.
1 Corinthians 1:22–24 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Let me ask you a question: when Jesus performed amazing miracles, did everyone believe in Him because they saw a miracle?
Remember after the feeding of the 5000? In John 6, almost everyone deserted Jesus and did not follow Him, even after eating the bread and fish. (John 6:60-66)
How did people respond to a real miracle of someone coming back from the dead—the other Lazarus? This was a real man and a friend of Jesus, and not the same Lazarus in this parable.
In John 11, after Jesus called Lazarus, who had been dead for 3 days, out of the tomb, some went and tattled to the Pharisees. They saw a miracle and didn’t believe.
John 12:10–11 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
What about those who saw Jesus rise from the dead? The Roman soldiers who were guarding the tomb saw Jesus walk out of the tomb, and yet they were paid off by the religious leaders to spread rumors that the disciples had come and stolen the body. (Matthew 28:11-15)
Just because you witness a major miracle like the feeding of the 5000, Lazarus coming back to life, and even the resurrection of Jesus, does not necessarily mean you will repent and believe.
The reason the rich man went to hell was not that he didn’t believe in a miraculous sign or that there was a lack of evidence. The real reason was a stony heart of unbelief.
The sinful heart that is resistant to Jesus can be confronted with miracle after miracle and still not believe.
In the end, here is why the rich man went to hell. It wasn’t because he was rich. It wasn’t even because he was uncaring toward Lazarus. It was because when confronted with the written word of God about who Jesus is, he did not repent. He did not repent and believe in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
During his life, he never once heeded the warning of the Bible and the message of the gospel, and in hell, it is now too late.
The Bible is all the proof you need to believe.
Do you believe what the Bible says about God? The Bible is enough proof that you need to place your faith in Jesus.
Do you believe what the Bible says about your personal sin against a holy God?
Do you believe what the Bible says about Jesus and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins?
Do you believe what the Bible says about His victorious resurrection from the dead?
Do you believe what the Bible says about trusting in Jesus by grace alone and not by works?
Do you believe what the Bible says about the reality of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment for those who do not repent?
Do you believe what the Bible says about the comforts and joys of heaven for those who do trust in Jesus alone as Savior?
Here’s the tragic reality of the rich man. He did not listen to God’s voice in the Bible. He did not truly hear the truth of the gospel from the Old Testament.
He did not hear, and as a result, He did not repent and believe.
Here’s the question for you today: Have you truly heard the voice of Jesus as He speaks to you in the Bible?
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Would you hear the voice of Jesus in the Bible, repent of your sins, and follow Him in faith!
If you do, when you die, like Lazarus, you will be escorted by angels to the comforts of heaven to live with Jesus forever.
If you do not, when you die, like the rich man, you will be cast into the torment of hell to suffer the anguish of judgment forever.
Don’t experience the terror of the great chasm!
Instead, trust in Jesus, who is the Bridge, the only Way, the Savior who by grace alone gives you the joys of great comfort.
Not the great chasm, but the great comfort of heaven with Jesus for all eternity!
[1]John Calvin, A Harmony of the Gospels (Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans, 1972), 119.
[2]J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Volume Two LUKE (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2007), 215.