Hell and God’s Love
Although sinners reject God’s love, He will certainly grieve over them when they will be sentenced to hell. God didn’t spare His Son but offered Him as a substitute to redeem mankind from death. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love than this (John 15:13).
The Bible teaches that no one is suffering in hell fire today. Everyone gets his reward or punishment only when Jesus returns and not at death (Revelation 22:12). Peter the apostle writes, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Peter 2:9). The wicked are reserved in the grave until the day of judgment arrives.
Jesus says, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28, 29). Our Lord made it clear that everyone would be reserved in their graves until called forth in the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) to receive either life or damnation in hell.
Jesus adds that the judgments are given only at His coming, not before, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). Rewards and punishments are given at the coming of the Lord. Again, the Lord confirms, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). This means that none of the righteous dead have gone to heaven or the wicked have gone to hell.
Also, the Bible states that the resurrection doesn’t take place until the coming of the Lord: “But man dies and [a]is laid away;
Indeed he breathes his last and where is he? So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep” (Job 14:10, 12). And when will the heavens be no more? The Bible gives the answer, “The day of the Lord will come … in which the heavens will pass away” (2 Peter 3:10). The heavens pass away on the day of the Lord, when Jesus returns to the earth to judge every one according to his works. Until then, the dead do “not rise” from the grave.
Check out our Bible Answers page for more information on a variety of topics.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
