Hell is Not Just a Four Letter Word

John Funk has posted an excellent article over on the Rapture Alert site about the word "hell" and what it means both to today's society and in the Bible. Take a moment to read the whole article.


How many times a week, nay, a day do you hear the word "hell" used as an epithet? In the current vernacular it seems that this word is used in many different ways. It is used as a curse and it is used as a point of emphasis. It is even used as an interrogative but very seldom is it used as what it truly is, i.e. a place or a destination. Yet, this is a word that denotes that very thing. It is a word that has been corrupted and compromised throughout the centuries and now we fail to recognize it for what it is. It is a warning.
I had the opportunity to attend a concert recently where the Beatles' song "Imagine" was played. You may remember that some of the lyrics to that particular song state:
Imagine there's no heavenIt's easy if you tryNo hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the peopleLiving for today
Falling in line with that reasoning and contrary to the Biblical record, there are those who dispute the existence of hell. They want to dismiss the idea of an actual "hell" as a place of torment. They will not confront what Jesus taught about hell as a place created for those who are separated from God. The fact of the matter is that Jesus said more about hell than He did about heaven during His ministry on earth. While the idea of "hell fire and brimstone preaching" has largely fallen into disrepute in many circles, it is still important to understand what the Bible says about it.
Jesus gave a detailed explanation of life after death when He spoke about the beggar, Lazarus, and the rich man. In this particular story He vividly illustrated the difference between the existence to come for those who sought after God and those who did not while they were alive.

Continue here.