06 Jan 2025 5 min read

An Epistle on Hell: The Justice of God’s Wrath

To the Saints and Seekers of Truth,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we find both mercy and truth. I write to you concerning the solemn and eternal reality of hell, that we may behold its necessity and justice in the light of God’s holiness, eternality, and the Lamb’s sacrifice. Let us reason together through the Scriptures, for in them we find the testimony of God’s righteous dealings with sin and the certainty of His eternal judgments.

The Distinction Between Sheol, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Lake of Fire

In the testimony of Scripture, Sheol, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Lake of Fire represent distinct realities in God’s administration of judgment and the afterlife.

Sheol: Before Christ’s death and resurrection, Sheol was the abode of the dead, divided into two realms. The righteous rested in Abraham’s bosom or Paradise (Luke 16:22), awaiting the Messiah, while the wicked experienced torment (Luke 16:23–25). Sheol was thus a temporary holding place for all humanity, reflecting the state of expectation before Christ’s redemptive work.
Heavenly Jerusalem: After Christ’s death and resurrection, the righteous dead are no longer confined to Sheol but are brought into the presence of Christ in Heavenly Jerusalem. The writer of Hebrews affirms that the spirits of the righteous made perfect dwell there with Christ (Hebrews 12:22–24). Paul echoes this truth, declaring that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). This is further confirmed in Revelation, where martyrs are seen under the altar (Revelation 6:9–11) and standing on the sea of glass before the throne of God (Revelation 15:2). Thus, Heavenly Jerusalem is now the eternal home of the righteous, where they rest in the fullness of God’s presence.
The Lake of Fire: The Lake of Fire, or the second death, is the eternal state of condemnation reserved for the final judgment. It is where all whose names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, along with the devil and his angels, are cast into eternal punishment (Revelation 20:14–15). It signifies the permanent and conclusive outworking of divine justice, a place of unending separation from God and His glory.

Hell as a Morally Required Response to Sin

A) God’s Holiness

The foundation of hell is God’s holiness, for holiness is His very essence. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Sin is an affront to this holiness—a rejection of His nature and an assertion of rebellion against the Creator. For God to tolerate sin or leave it unpunished would be to deny His holiness, which cannot coexist with moral corruption.

The moral appropriateness of hell stems from this incompatibility. God’s holiness demands separation from all that defiles (Habakkuk 1:13). Sin must be dealt with decisively, for it is not merely a finite act against finite beings but a transgression against the infinite majesty of an eternal God. Hell, therefore, is the place where God’s holiness is vindicated, and sin is forever quarantined.

B) God’s Eternality and His Observation of Sin

God’s eternality ensures that He perceives all moments simultaneously—past, present, and future are as one before Him. This attribute intensifies the gravity of sin, for every sinful act is continually before the eternal God. It is not merely that God "remembers" sin; rather, He eternally beholds it. As David confessed, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4).

Because God’s perception of sin is eternal, the punishment for sin must likewise bear eternal weight. Hell, as the Lake of Fire, is the just and proportional response to sin’s infinite offense against an infinitely holy and eternal God. It is the eternal justice required by sin’s perpetual reality before Him.

C) The Nature of the Lamb’s Sacrifice in View of His Eternality

The eternality of the Son further magnifies the significance of the cross. Christ’s suffering was not merely a temporal act but one imbued with eternal consequences. Though He was crucified in history, His sacrifice transcends time, for the Lamb was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). In the eternal nature of Christ, the crucifixion is perpetually before Him, even as He intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father.

This eternal observation of His own suffering underscores the moral weight of rejecting the Lamb. To spurn so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3)—the eternal sacrifice of the eternal Son—is to warrant the eternal wrath of God. Hell is thus the just recompense for those who trample underfoot the blood of the covenant and insult the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).

The Justice of Sheol, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Second Death

The progression from Sheol to Heavenly Jerusalem and the Lake of Fire reflects God’s just and orderly response to sin and redemption:

Sheol: Before Christ, Sheol functioned as a temporary holding place. For the righteous, it was a place of rest and anticipation of the Messiah’s redemptive work. For the wicked, it was a foretaste of judgment. Sheol demonstrated God’s justice in holding the dead accountable, even before the final judgment.
Heavenly Jerusalem: After Christ’s victory, the righteous dead are immediately brought into His presence in Heavenly Jerusalem. This transition signifies the fulfillment of God’s redemptive promises and the perfection of the saints. Their presence with Christ affirms that the penalty for their sin has been fully paid through the Lamb’s sacrifice.
The Lake of Fire: The Lake of Fire is the culmination of divine justice. It ensures that sin is not merely restrained but eternally removed from God’s presence. It vindicates the holiness of God and affirms the eternal consequences of rejecting His grace.

The Appropriateness of Wrath as God’s Reaction to Sin

God’s wrath is not an arbitrary or capricious emotion but a necessary and righteous response to sin. It is rooted in His love for what is good and His hatred for what is evil (Psalm 5:4–6). Wrath is the proper outworking of divine justice, for it ensures that sin does not go unanswered.

Wrath and God’s Patience

God’s wrath must also be understood in light of His patience. “The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Exodus 34:6). The delay of judgment is not a denial of wrath but a testament to His longsuffering, giving sinners time to repent (2 Peter 3:9). Yet patience spurned invites wrath multiplied, for those who reject God’s mercy in the time of His patience store up wrath for the day of wrath (Romans 2:4–5).

Wrath, therefore, establishes justice by vindicating God’s patience. It demonstrates that His delay in judgment was not an abdication of justice but a merciful provision for repentance. When that mercy is rejected, wrath becomes the final and necessary act to uphold His justice.

Conclusion: The Righteousness of Hell

Hell is not merely a place of punishment but a manifestation of God’s righteousness. It upholds His holiness, vindicates His eternal nature, magnifies the sacrifice of the Lamb, and affirms His justice. Sheol, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Lake of Fire, as expressions of divine judgment and redemption, are morally appropriate and necessary responses to the reality of sin. God’s wrath, far from being a contradiction to His love, is its outworking, ensuring that all wrongs are righted and all holiness is upheld.

Let us, therefore, flee from the wrath to come and take refuge in the Lamb, whose blood was shed to deliver us from eternal judgment. For in Him, mercy triumphs over judgment, and life triumphs over death.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yours in His service,
The Watchman