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Conspiracies of Faith: Going to Hell
February 2, 2019

In anger, many will utter the phrase, "Go to hell!" Intended to convey damnation upon the receipient, it is based on the belief that those who are evil will spend eternity in hell. In essence, the phrase is a condemning way to declare that another is acting in an evil way. Last week, we examined the conspiracy regarding the concept of going to heaven. This week, the conpiracy expands with the contrary view for those who are evil. What exactly does the Bible say is the fate of the wicked? We will start where we left off last time. Painted for us in Revelation chapter 21 is a new vision of the future where God and Jesus live on earth in peace with all of God's children, except for those who are wicked. Going to hell for eternity is not their fate; dying the second and final death in a lake of fire is their fate. The wicked will cease to exist.

Revelation 21:1-8
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

We are encouraged to depart from evil, to do good, to seek peace, and to pursue peace. This is what the righteous do, and when we do this God will be watching over us and will hear our worries and concerns. God will save the righteous from all of their troubles. Those who do evil will come to nothing and will be forgotten, as if they never existed. God will use evil to punish the evil, and will fiercely protect the righteous.

Psalm 34:14-22
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

But what about the parable of Lazarus and the rich man? This parable talks about a dead, rich evil person tormented by flames, while Lazarus is seen in the distance with Abraham. Do these verses show hell as typically believed? Comparing Revelation 21:8 and Psalm 34:18 with this parable helps us to understand the hell the rich man experienced. It is also important to consider that the lesson to be learned from this parable is found in verse 31. Those who are disinclined to obey God, will not obey even when presented with an obvious miracle, such as having a dead person live once again. That's the lesson of the parable as the rich man wanted his brothers spared from his fate. The hell of the rich man is hades, the place of the dead, and simply is the grave. What the rich man experienced with the torment of the heat, is what is described in Revelation 21:8, the lake of fire which results in the second death. Nowhere in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man does it show the evil live for eternity in this lake of fire. Psalm 34:18 simply shows that the wicked will no longer be remembered, because fire incinerates flesh, and with this fire, the flame will be so hot, not even ash will be left.

Luke 16:19-31
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The Bible disproves another conspiracy of faith, showing that God is for his people, and will mercifully eliminate all who are opposed through a second death that will fully consume their physical bodies so that the righteous who remain will have no memory of them. The last victory of death before it is vanquished is to eliminate evil.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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