Why is hell dark if they have fires?
Answer: The Bible uses a lot of pictures to give us an idea of what heaven and hell are like. Fire means burning and pain. Do you remember having a fever? You felt like you were burning up, but there was no flame.
Darkness means loneliness. Can you imagine anything more lonely than sitting by yourself in total darkness? What God is telling us is that hell is a terrible place. We certainly don’t want to go there.
Key verse: [Jesus is speaking] “And many… shall be thrown into outer darkness. They will be put in the place of crying and pain.” (Matthew 8:12)
Related verses: Luke 16:28; Revelation 20:15
Related questions: What’s really happening in hell? What is hell like?
Note to parents: Children hear conflicting descriptions of hell. They hear that hell is a dark place (Matthew 8:12) and yet a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
(They may also have heard that it is cold.) Instead of grasping the meanings of these metaphors, the child is taking the images concretely.
Who ends up in hell?
Answer: Hell is the place where God will punish Satan and his followers and all those who refuse to follow God. We don’t know exactly who will go there because we don’t make that judgment, God does.
But God has made it possible for everyone to escape punishment in hell. He gives everyone the opportunity to go to heaven. That’s why he sent Jesus to die on the cross. When Jesus suffered and died, he took our place-he paid the penalty for our sins.
So if we trust in Jesus, we can escape hell and go to heaven. It sure would be great if all our friends, family, and neighbors would end up in heaven. Let’s tell them how to get there.
Key verse: Anyone whose name wasn’t in the Book of Life was thrown into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:15)
Related verses: John 3:16-18; 1 John 1:9
Related questions: Are there kids in hell? Who goes to hell? Will I go to hell if I swear?