The Three Most Horrible Words

Luke 16:23

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Jesus tells a story about a rich man who lived his life comfortably, and a poor man who begged at the rich man's gate for crumbs. Both men died, but both men went to different places once they died. The Scripture says that Lazarus, the poor man, went to Abraham's bosom, which was the holding place of the saints until Jesus died on the cross and put his blood on the mercy seat in Heaven. However, the rich man also died, and the next three words after he died are the most horrible words that could be said: And in hell. This rich man lived his whole life comfortably, but he would spend his eternity in a much horrible situation than what Lazarus lived on this Earth. You see, Hell is a real place, and God gives us several conditions about Hell that every person needs to learn. Let me share what Hell is like.

First, it’s a place of remembrance. The rich man in Hell remembered Lazarus, and he also remembered his five brothers who were still alive. One of the horrible things about Hell is that you will remember everything from Earth. You remember all the opportunities you had to get saved. You will remember all the bad that you did to someone; it is a place of remembrance.

Second, it’s a real place. This place of Hell is not just a story, but it is a real place where real people go if they do not trust Christ as their personal Saviour.

Third, it's a place of torment. Several times in this story, Jesus uses the word torment to describe the condition of the rich man. No one will go to Hell and party, but everyone who goes to Hell will be tormented for eternity. To be tormented is far beyond just normal pain, but it is an extreme pain that you must suffer for an eternity.

Fourth, it’s a place of fire. Many want to say this fire is just someone's imagination, but according to the Word of God, it is more than just an imagination; it is a real fire. In fact, in the book of Mark, God says this fire will never be quenched. The fires of Hell will be the worst fire that one could ever be in, and the worst thing about these fires is that they will never take one's life, but they will burn forever in this flame and experience the torment that burning in a fire brings.

Fifth, it’s a place of eternal separation. God says there is a great gulf fixed between Heaven and Hell, and those who are in Hell will never be able to span that gulf into Heaven. The chance to be saved is right now because you will never be able to leave once you are cast into Hell. There is no paying your way out of Hell; once you are there, you will be there for an eternity.

Sixth, it’s a place of seeing what you could have had. It is interesting that this rich man could see Abraham; this tells me that you will be able to see what you could have had in Heaven as you are tormented in Hell.

Seventh, it’s a place of concern. Though this rich man realized he could never leave this horrible place of Hell, he became concerned about others not coming to the same place. My friend, if you're not saved, now is the time to get saved. If you are saved, you must give the Gospel to every person you know so that they will not come to the place of torment, which is Hell.