Then at that time, Jesus called out in a loud voice, ” Eloi Eloi lama Sabacthani”, which means , My God my God why have you forsaken me?!… (Mark 15: 34)
There is no place like Hell…..or heaven for that matter. Many times when we think about Heaven or Hell we think of a distinct location or place where souls go to receive the reward of their judgement. This is by no means an accurate description of heaven or hell.
Please note, this does NOT mean that Heaven and Hell are NOT real. To make such a claim, would not only be inaccurate and misleading but also a falsehood. The Bible is very clear on this one fact that both heaven and hell are very real, and do in fact exist and most importantly, of a certainty, every soul shall experience either one or the other.
If Hell is not a place, what then is it? Its a state of being or existence. It is largely characterized by the absence of God and this should be enough to inject fear in every person. We can know this simply by reading between the lines of Jesus last words.
By examining Jesus final moments on earth before the crucifixion, we can construct an idea of what hell looks like based on 3 states of extreme suffering he endured.
Physical torment
Besides the cruel horror of being nailed by the hands and feet on a wooden cross beam, Jesus was also severely flogged by his roman executioners. As if this cruel blood bath was not enough, a crown of thorns was twisted together and placed upon his brow. it is unimaginable what kind of physical pain he must have suffered so I shall not belabor the gruesome detail, but suffice it to say, not once did Christ protest this cruel treatment.
Emotional Anguish
In his dying moments, some of the very real emotions Christ struggled with given the circumstances of his execution include; humiliation from being mocked, beaten, spat on, insulted and stripped naked, rejection and victimization from His own people who preferred his innocent death over that of a known criminal, loneliness and abandonment from those closest to him who were powerless to help him in the face of such a tragic injustice. Again, its interesting to see Christ maintains a calm, acceptance of his fate in the face of great emotional suffering.
Spiritual Alienation
It was when he was hoisted up, nailed to the cross that Christ breaks his calm silence. In great agony, he cries out in deep anguish asking God why He has forsaken Him. It is curious to note that at no point during his ordeal did he cry out in protest. He stoically bears all the pain of what he had grossly endured in his Physical body.
Similarly, Christ did not lament the emotional torture he had just faced. He does not voice any complaint, plea or sigh that would give some indication to the turmoil he underwent.
However, something in his spiritual condition, provoked a loud cry of anguish from the man. It was the unseen suffering in his soul that caused him the deepest anguish. That God, the Father and Creator of Heaven and earth, turned his face away from the Son.
The absence of God’s presence represented the worst form of suffering and anguish that Christ endured even beyond the emotional and physical torment. This should set alarm bells off for us. What would it mean to our souls to be cut off from God?!……..
From these events, we see that even extreme physical and emotional suffering pale in comparison to the horror of God abandoning a soul. This is the real definition of hell. That God has removed His gracious regard from you and left you to your own devices. That your soul faces the prospect of life and death without the promise of God’s presence by His eternal Spirit. That you no longer enjoy God’s providential hand upon your existence whether you perceive it, recognize it or believe it to be so.
By contrast heaven too is not a place. It is a state of existence characterized by the very real presence of God and your soul is completely alive and captured into the fullness of God’s wondrous Spirit. Such is the sheer delight and eternal bliss for every soul that believes.