The Myths of Hell:
A Beautiful Hell Trilogy Book 1
by Nathan
J. Anderson
The Myths of Hell is the first book in A Beautiful
Hell Trilogy. Books 2 and 3, The Ache
for Paradise and Does Hell Really
Last Forever?, are both due for release early 2014.
Description
Though hell is
probably not your everyday dinner topic, it slips itself into many
conversations at a moment’s notice, for example, “what the hell,” “go to hell,”
“it was hell” - but does anybody really know what it is?
The images that most
often pop into our minds when hell is mentioned are a goaty-looking red guy
sporting horns and a devilish grin all while poking some sinner with a
pitchfork, or perhaps an ocean of fire brimming with the tormented wicked. Is
either of these images right? What does the Bible really say about hell? Is
hell truly necessary? Is God a thwarted lover who throws people who reject him
into hell? Why can’t God just forgive people? How could a loving God throw his
creation into torment forever?
And to make the pot
even thicker, how is it possible for Jesus to save anybody from going there? It
doesn’t make any sense that the death of one person could do anything to save
anybody else from hell, yet that is what is preached from countless street corners
and soap boxes.
I think God is
deeper and wider, higher and brighter than any of us could have ever imagined,
and that the picture God paints of himself stares at us from the pages of
Scripture, yet we often miss it.
As we go through The
Myths of Hell, we're going to chew on some answers for these questions:
- Where is hell?
- Who's in charge of hell?
- Who's in charge of death?
- Isn't Sheol the Old Testament version of hell?
- Is it true that Jesus descended to hell?
- Did Jesus believe in Hades?
- What evil powers are in Hades?
- Who's in hell right now?
- Where did the idea of hell come from?
- Is there really going to be a lake of fire?
- Do bad people go to hell right away when they die?
- What is the final punishment for the wicked?
- Who's in charge of hell?
- Who's in charge of death?
- Isn't Sheol the Old Testament version of hell?
- Is it true that Jesus descended to hell?
- Did Jesus believe in Hades?
- What evil powers are in Hades?
- Who's in hell right now?
- Where did the idea of hell come from?
- Is there really going to be a lake of fire?
- Do bad people go to hell right away when they die?
- What is the final punishment for the wicked?
Excerpt
Chapter 1: Why I had to Write this
Series
I knew when I
chose the title for this series that it would raise a few eyebrows. After all,
how could such an awful place like hell be beautiful? In order to answer that
question, we have to start somewhere else, with a different question, one that
has been haunting me for thirty years.
What is it about Jesus'
death that saves us from hell?
It doesn't make
any sense that the death of one man could do anything for anybody else.
Granted, God is the one who both came up with the plan and did the dying, and I
am just a man, but I can't help but wonder why? As I rolled this question
around in my head, it gave birth to a host of other questions:
•
Why can’t God choose to forgive sin
without demanding a sacrifice?
•
Is God so narrow-minded that he only
accepts people who toe the party line and “accept Jesus into their heart?”
•
Is God a thwarted lover who throws
people into hell just because they don’t respond to his overtures?
•
Why are good people who aren’t
Christians slated for an eternity in hell?
•
What about people who have never heard
of Jesus? It doesn’t seem fair that they would be sentenced to torment.
The typical
answers to these questions are that God doesn't grade on a curve, the standard
is perfection, and if you aren't made perfect by Jesus, you're in trouble. God
the Judge is only able to pardon people from sin if they believe that Jesus
took the penalty for their sin.
I
understand why atheists poke fun at God as being small-minded because he sounds
like a capricious god, fickle and trite, as if he made up rules and gets mad
when somebody tries to do an end run around him and his system. Or in the words
of one Christian blogger in speaking of his high school salvation experience,
"It made sense to me to accept a savior who would rescue me from the
clutches of the infinitely picky and thoroughly uncompromising High School
Principal of the universe." (Guyton, Morgan, 2012)
But
is this really the way it is? Is God an "infinitely picky high school
principal of the universe" who set things up so we have to choose to be on
Jesus' team or face His judgment?
Some have asked me
why these questions are important, feeling that perhaps I am nitpicking an
aspect of faith that should be left alone. I think these questions are crucial
because they are at the forefront of many people's minds. When I read
atheist/agnostic comments, these are some of the issues that keep them from
faith. These are also the issues that have shriveled the faith of once-vibrant
Christians.
If
there is something missing or even flat-out wrong about our knowledge of God
pertaining to hell and judgment, we need to ask God for wisdom so that we can
remove that stumbling block to faith.
Searching
for an answer to these questions has taken me deep into the heart of the earth
and up to the heights of heaven. Along the way, I have discovered a treasure
trove of puzzle pieces that fit together to create a picture of God that
astonishes me every time I look at it.
If
you are a hunter for truth, welcome to the journey. At the end you might
discover that God has become more magnificent in your eyes than ever before.
Ready to begin?
Nathan
J. Anderson
P.S. Though I
definitely have strong opinions, I am well aware that I do not have a corner on
Biblical truth. I'm sure there will be people who disagree with me, and that's
ok. Digging into Scripture to explore what is true about God is all a part of
growing in the knowledge of God.
At
the end of the day those of us who believe are still brothers and sisters in
the faith, held together by the belief that God became a man named Jesus, who
lived a perfect life, was crucified on a cross because of our sin, buried, and
three days later rose from the dead. He now proclaims ultimate victory over
death for anyone who turns from sin and follows him in faith. Amen.
Review
"A Beautiful Hell is bound to ruffle some
feathers. It will stir up what many thought was a settled matter; a matter,
however, that is anything but settling ... what Nathan has to say is biblical,
historical, and reasonable. Believers will be challenged. Skeptics will be
encouraged. And everyone in-between will be intrigued."
Matt Lukowitz,
Preaching Pastor, Grace Community Church, Chippewa Falls, WisconsinI
About the Author
Nathan J. Anderson is an author, speaker, hospital chaplain, husband of
one, father of four, musician, thinker, cancer survivor, teacher, and bad cook
(ever tried homemade meatloaf pizza?). He graduated from Bethel Seminary in
2003 with a Master’s of Arts in Theological Studies, and is part of the church
in the Chippewa Valley in Wisconsin. You can visit his blog and join the conversation.
Nathan is the author of Jak and the Scarlet Thread, the first novel of a young adult series that
takes readers through the Bible via fantasy adventure. He is also the author of
A Beautiful Hell, a theology trilogy that
takes the reader on a fascinating journey deep into questions like “Why can’t
God forgive sin without demanding a sacrifice?”
Links
