“[Hell] has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.”
Isaiah 30:33
Hell’s stock has fallen lately from lack of public confidence. Of course, atheists have never bought into it anyway, but millions reject hell yet still believe in heaven and cherish fond hopes of going there. Some draw comfort from Biblical descriptions of a compassionate God and the joys awaiting His children in the world to come. Surely if we hate suffering, God must hate it worse and could never have founded a place as horrible as described in Dante’s Inferno.
But the same Jesus who gave heaven a five-star rating also described an otherworldly chamber of horrors. And He made clear that Satan doesn’t top the list of people to be feared. For the determined evil-doer, God is the one to shudder at. Today’s verse states that it’s the breath of the Lord that sets hell ablaze. Those who prefer their dark deeds, better beware! Matthew 10:28-29 warns, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” But remember, God did not originally make hell for people. Jesus said it was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). It’s unnatural for humans to be there — as unnatural as turning our backs on a Creator who loves us.
God takes no joy in sending anyone to eternal misery; His Son was a lifeguard, urgently warning swimmers of treacherous waters. But in dozens of passages, God warns He will hurl everyone into that unthinkable pit who persists in challenging or ignoring Him.
Oh God, give me boldness to talk about the gift of salvation. I don’t want my friends and neighbors to die without having the chance to respond to Your Son!
