What Is Hell Like?
People very seldom consider what it will be like to be lost in Hell. Jesus taught more on Hell than He did on any other subject. Hell is something Satan would like for us to forget about. Satan would like for us to reason Hell out of existence. Death is not the supreme tragedy because there is life after death. Everyone will continue to live either in Heaven or Hell after this life is over. But to stand before the Lord in judgment and to hear Him say, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41) will be the supreme tragedy. The tragedy of tragedies is a person lost in Hell.
Hell is a terrible place. There is no way to describe how dreadful it is. It is beyond our comprehension. There is no way our human minds can ever begin to imagine how horrible Hell will be. We read in Revelation 20:10,15 that those who are lost in Hell will be "Cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Also we read, "And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever and they shall have no rest day or night" (Revelation 14:11). Have you ever burned the tip of your finger? Remember the excruciating pain. Try to imagine what it would be like to be burning over every square inch of your body. Try to imagine you are also burning all on the inside and even your soul is eternally on fire, always burning, but never consumed. You are screaming and pleading for just one drop of water on the tip of your tongue. This goes on forever and ever. In Hell there will be no relief. Hell is a place where there is no hope. Hell is a hopeless and a helpless place.
Hell is permanent. It would be bearable if you knew that in a billion years it would end. But after one has been in Hell a billion years, Hell will have just begun. There is no way out of the place. There is no appeal to a higher court. It will never end. Hell is eternal and everlasting. Our Lord says in Matthew 25:46, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life". Everlasting punishment will last as long as eternal life in Heaven. Hell is ugly and horrible. Heaven is wonderful and beautiful. What Heaven is on one hand, Hell is the direct opposite.
Everyone in Hell will be constantly screaming and begging for mercy, but there will be none. Jesus says those who are lost "will be cast out into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). With all of the weeping, screaming, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, there will be no hope that the continued pain and suffering will ever end. In Mark 9:47-48 Jesus says the lost will be, "Cast into Hell fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched". The fires of Hell will never go out.
Now is the time to be concerned not when one gets into Hell. People in Hell will learn too late that God really means what He said. If one goes to Hell, he will only have himself to blame. Let’s make sure we go to Heaven.