Jesus Preached to
Spirits in Hell?
I Peter 3:18-20 says, “For
Christ died for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous, to
bring you to God. He was put to death
in the body but made alive in the
Spirit, through whom also he went and
preached to the spirits in prison who
disobeyed long ago when God waited
patiently in the days of Noah while
the ark was being built…”
Some people interpret
this text to mean that when Jesus
died on Calvary, He went to preach to
those who had been tormented in the
prison of hell since the flood. This
view raises more questions than it
answers:
·What would Jesus
offer the poor souls who had been
writhing in the flames of hell about
2,500 years? Did He offer a way out
or did He shake a divine finger at
them and say, “this is the
reward you deserve – you vile
unbelievers”?
.Is it possible to
leave hell after being confined
there? Did Jesus release any
hostages? Were the repentant ones in
hell able to go to Heaven as a result
of Jesus’ visit?
Note: Most
Protestants reject the second chance
theory for salvation after death for
Psalms 49: 7,8 says, “No man
can redeem the life of another or
give to God a ransom for him –
the ransom for a life is costly, no
payment is ever enough.”
Let us carefully
review our problem text. Peter says
nothing about Jesus preaching to
spirits that are being tormented in
hell. Instead, Peter says that the
same Holy Spirit that tried to save
people who were alive before the
flood brought Jesus to life. Notice
that genesis 6:3 says, “…My
Spirit will not contend with man
forever…”
In subsequent verses,
Peter goes on to say that those who
are alive in the Spirit are dead to
debauchery, lust, drunkenness,
orgies, carousing and idolatry –
the very conditions that brought
destruction upon the antediluvians.
Peter concludes his argument by
saying, “For this is the
reason the gospel was preached even
to those who are now dead
(spiritually), so that they might be
judged according to men in regard to
the body, but live according to God
in regard to the spirit.” (1
Peter 4:6)
Rich Man – Poor
Man
Luke 16: 19-31 tells
the story of a rich man and Lazarus.
Many people believe this story
confirms an eternally burning hell.
They also believe it demonstrates
that those in hell can talk with
those in Heaven. However, note the
following points:
Jesus used this
well-known story to make a very
important point to both the Sadducees
and Pharisees. Josephus, the ancient
Jewish historian, says that a popular
topic of debate at the time of Christ
was the controversy over life after
death. The Sadducees did not believe
in a resurrection and the Pharisees
did - thus any discussion on
this topic always started a lively
discussion. Paul also used this
subject to cleverly distract his
accusers and escape with his life!
(See Acts 23:8,9)
In this example,
however, the meaning of the parable
is the moral of the story – not
the specific details. Jesus used the
details of the story to personify two
groups of people: The rich man
represented the self-centered, richly
blessed nation of Israel. God had
given them every blessing and instead
of sharing this blessing, they
appropriated it to themselves. The
poor man (Lazarus) represented the
Gentiles, who had received only a few
spiritual crumbs from the bountiful
table of the Jews. In the parable,
however, their roles are cleverly
reversed in another life. The rich
man is sent to hell and he cries out
to Abraham, the father of Israel, for
relief. However, as the story goes,
Abraham explains how things are
different now. The rich man sees his
true condition too late and wants to
warn his brothers – but Abraham
refuses to send Lazarus to them.
Abraham rebukes the rich man saying, “Your
brothers have Moses and the Prophets;
let them listen to them.”
The rich man begs, “If
someone from the dead goes to them,
they will repent.” (Luke
16:29,30)
After telling the
story, Jesus makes His point. He
said, “If they do not listen
to Moses and the Prophets (a term
for the Scriptures, Luke 24:27), they
will not be convinced even if someone
rises from the dead.” Using
this story, Jesus predicts His
forthcoming rejection – a point
lost on most of the listeners. What
does it take to get people to change
their minds? Even after His
resurrection, Jesus knew the Jews
would remain unchanged in their
behavior as a nation.
This story is a
parable. If it is to be taken
literally, as some people suggest,
then we must conclude that all
materially rich people are going to
hell and all the poor people are
going to Heaven. This, of course, is
not Biblical. For the story to be
harmonious with other Scriptures, we
must conclude that its point contains
its meaning.
Do Souls Talk Back?
Perhaps the most
difficult portion of Scriptures on
this subject can be found in
Revelation. Notice: “When he
opened the fifth seal, I saw under
the alter the souls of those who had
been slain because of the word of God
and the testimony they had
maintained. They called out in a loud
voice, ‘How long, Sovereign
Lord, holy and true, until you
judge the inhabitants of the earth
and avenge our blood?” Then each
one of them was given a white robe,
and they were told to wait a little
longer, until the number of their
fellow servants and brothers who were
to be killed as they had been was
completed.” (Revelation
6:9-11)
At first glance, this
text appears to indicate that souls
of martyrs talk to God and that He
talks back to them. There is a simple
resolution to this dilemma. Bible
writers occasionally use a literary
device called personification to
explain their point. Personification
gives something inanimate a lifelike
quality, so the object speaks ands
acts as though it were alive. For
example, when Cain killed Abel, God
spoke to Cain saying, “…What
have you done? Listen! Your
brother’s blood cries out to me
from the ground.” (Genesis
4:10) Abel’s blood was not
actually crying out to God. Instead,
Moses (the author of Genesis) means
that God saw Cain’s evil deed
and on behalf of Abel, God demanded
an answer from Cain for what he had
done. Much blood has been shed since
that terrible day and all innocent
blood still cries out for justice.
Before long, God will ensure that
justice is served.
John also uses
personification in Revelation 6. The
souls of martyrs cry out to God for
justice and an end to martyrdom. A
message regarding patience is given
to them because God has a larger
purpose and plan that must be first
accomplished. The martyrs are assured
of salvation and then told to wait
for the fulfillment of God’s
plan. The people who die for Jesus
will be given a white robe and a
crown at the last day! (Please
compare Revelation 2:10, 3:5; John
6:39; Matthew 16:25; Revelation
22:12.)
The martyrdom
described in Revelation 6 is yet to
come. When it does come, this text
will be an encouragement to people
who cry to God, “Why do you
allow us to suffer so?” this
text reveals that God has a larger
and more important purpose to
accomplish before martyrdom comes to
an end. That purpose is the salvation
of other people.
What About Forever and
Ever?
The following text
seems to indicate there is an
eternally burning fire for the people
who receive the mark of the beast.
Notice: “…If anyone
worships the beast and his image and
receives his mark on the forehead or
on the hand, he, too, will drink of
the wine of God’s fury, which
has been poured full strength into
the cup of his wrath. He will be
tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of
the Lamb. And the smoke of their
torment rises for ever and ever.
There is no rest day or night for
those who worship the beast and his
image, or for anyone who receives the
mark of his name.” (Revelation
14:9-11)
Does this mean that
the smoke of their torment rises
forever and ever because they are
suffering forever? Let us investigate
this further. Revelation 20: 7-9
states that the wicked are destroyed
at the end of the millennium. At the
end of the 1,000 years, Jesus
resurrects the wicked for two
reasons. First, He wants each
condemned person to comprehend all
that he chose to forfeit. Everyone
resurrected in the second
resurrection will see and understand
the reality of Heaven, love,
happiness and eternity. Second, Jesus
wants each condemned person to see
that His judgment was based on love,
fairness and justice. These two
reasons are the primary purpose of
the great white throne scene
described in Revelation 20:11.
God does not sit in
judgment at this throne room scene.
No, the outcome of the wicked people
was determined during the judgment
described in Daniel 7:9,10 that takes
place before the Second Coming.
Instead, the great white throne scene
occurs at the end of the 1,000 years
when condemned people are called to
stand before their Maker. Jesus wants
every person to know how His judgment
decision was made. As wicked people
stand before God’s throne, Jesus
presents the plan of salvation and
the full drama of each person’s
life passes before him/her. Each
person sees his choices and his
rebellion against God. At the end of
the scene, every person bows before
Jesus admitting that His judgment is
fair, true and honest. (Isaiah
45:22-25; Philippians 2)
The sentence to be
executed on the condemned is death.
Realizing their great loss, the
numberless multitude of wicked turn
on one another in hopeless anger.
Their sense of loss is greater than
they can stand. To end the carnage,
God rains fire down from Heaven and
burns them up. (Ezekiel 38:19-23)
John says, “But the cowardly,
the unbelieving, the vile, the
murderers, the sexually immoral,
those who practice magic arts, the
idolaters and all liars – their
place will be in the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. This is the second
death.” (Revelation 21:8)
God will cleanse the
earth by fire just as He cleansed it
by water in Noah’s day! The only
safe place will be in the city of New
Jerusalem. Malachi says, “Surely
the day is coming; it will burn like
a furnace. All the arrogant and every
evildoer will be stubble, and that
day that is coming will set them on
fire; says the Lord Almighty.
‘Not a root or branch will be
left to them. But for you who revere
my name, the sun of righteousness
will rise with healing in its wings.
And you will go out and leap like
calves released from the stall. Then
you will trample down the wicked;
they will be ashes under the soles of
your feet on the day when I do these
things, says the Lord Almighty.”
(Malachi 4:1-3)
The purpose of the
final fire is not eternal torment.
Instead, the purpose is purification!
Sin, death, suffering and evil will
be destroyed in the lake of fire. The
cancer of sin will cease to exist
forever. “Whatever they plot
against the Lord be will bring to an
end; trouble (sin) will not come a
second time.” (Nahum 1:9)
When Earth is completely purified
with fire, Jesus creates a new Heaven
and a new Earth. John says, “Then
I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and first earth
had passed away, and there was no
longer any sea.” (Revelation
21:1)
Therefore, the smoke
coming from the destruction of the
wicked and the purification of the
world ascends upward and ever just
like ordinary smoke does today.
