Note: This is an old series. There are still a lot of studying that I need to do before I make any further comics on the subject of hell. Furthermore, I'm becoming more convinced that comics are not the best medium for talking about big subjects such as these, too much info.
I haven't done too much further research on this, but there is a very good chapter on the concept of hell in The Case for Heaven By Lee Strobel.
Original Commentaries (from June 2020):
Episode 1:
So I broke my drawing tablet this week that’s why the art gets weird in this comic. I’ll get a replacement soon so stay tuned!
Let me summarize what I believe the Bible says about Hell. Hell is a place where sinners go after they have received their judgment before the judgment throne of God. (Rev 20:11-15). Whether the punishment in Hell is eternal or not I am undecided, however, evidence in the Bible will suggest that the word “eternal” used to describe Hell does mean an eternity, for that same word is used to describe God’s eternal character as well as the believer’s eternity in heaven. With that mindset, one can assume that Hell will be an eternal location, much like heaven.
Sheol is Old Testament hell, a holding place for sinners before they are judged on judgment day. You can read about this in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Gehenna is a word Jesus used to describe Hell, Gehenna is actually a real place, a place that is related to burning and other terrible things. These are interesting word studies to conduct.
As for what the punishment in hell is, Jesus’ teachings will suggest burning, and many other verses also suggest likewise, however, this fire these verses talk of could very well mean a spiritual fire. What I am absolutely certain of is that the punishment will NOT be pleasant, the Bible is very clear on how Hell is not a place you want to be in.
One thing I did not mention in the comic is that Hell is a place where you are separated from God. (2 Thess 1:9). The Lord’s Glory is absent from Hell. And we know that all things good come from God. We can conclude that without God’s presence, Hell will be a place where only sin exists. It’s like a quarantine zone, where the righteous enter heaven, where there is no sin, and those who have not received salvation and have not had their sins cleansed will be put into Hell where they are quarantined, or if we take another view, they along with their sins will be destroyed. Don’t see this as a place of partying and doing whatever you want, if there is only sin in that place I guarantee you, it’s going to be a TERRIBLE place for everyone, and don’t forget about the torment, that’s still a thing.
Many would like to water down Hell as simply “separation with God”, or “soul sleep”, or “missing out on heaven”. While the separation part is true, the aspect of punishment is removed from the equation. A Hell will no punishment and torment is dealt shows that God is not a righteous God. In order for him to be righteous, there must be a punishment for sins. This is also a core problem because without properly describing Hell, you risk the danger of making false converts, I’ll touch on that more next week.
As we know, God will judge righteously and each person will be convicted of their sins. In the end, all will be humbled and acknowledge that God really is the supreme ruler of all universe. God’s sentence for each sinner will be absolutely just because he will take every moment of their lives into account.
Of course, those who have repented and have put their trust in the Lord Jesus will be shown mercy. (Rom 8:1). It is the mercy aspect that is very important to evangelists.
Episode 2
There really isn’t much I can add to this, just remember, whatever topic you choose to use for evangelism, use it to lead the sinner to the cross, always.
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