Picture Scripture: “Hell: Absence Of GOD’s Presence” (2Thessalonians 1:9)

(2Thessalonians 1:9)
“These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

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A self-declared Satanist once asked me, “If Hell is the absence of god, how can god be omnipresent?” That’s a good question and worth investigating. So, if I were to use his question to restructure it into a logical argument, his argument would be as follows:

1. The Bible says GOD is omnipresent.
2. The Bible says Hell is an actual location.
3. The Bible says GOD’s presence is absent from Hell.
4. Therefore, either GOD is not omnipresent or Hell is not an actual location; either way, the Bible contradicts itself and is wrong.

So, in order to provide a credible answer to this curious question, we must investigate each argument. First, does the Bible state that GOD is omnipresent? Yes — multiple scriptures speak of GOD’s omnipresence (Psalm 33:13–14; 139:7–12; Isaiah 57:15; Jeremiah 23:23–24; Matthew 28:20; Colossians 1:17).

Second, is Hell an actual location? Yes — as we learned from the previous Picture Scripture, Hell is indeed an actual location.

Third, is GOD absent from Hell if GOD is omnipresent? Well, does the Bible say that Hell is the absence of GOD’s presence? Now, this question requires investigation of what is written in Scripture. And to discover Truth, we must be good detectives and examine the evidence with integrity. 2Thessalonians 1:9 says the wicked “will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Yet Revelation 14:10 says that the people who end up worshiping the beast “will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”

At first glance, this seems like a contradiction. However, when we examine the original Greek language in which those scriptures were written, this perceived problem turns out to be an apparent contradiction, but not an actual contradiction. In Revelation 14:10, the word “presence” is the English translation of the Greek word enopion, which means before someone, in the presence of someone, or in someone’s sight. This word suggests a certain measurable distance between the two people being referenced as if the distance is not so great that one person’s presence would be considered absent. This word is used in Luke 1:19 when the angel Gabriel described himself as someone who stands in the presence of GOD. And just like it is written in Luke 12:6, this concept of enopion (before GOD) speaks not only of GOD’s omnipresence, but also GOD’s omniscience in that GOD is all knowing because GOD is omnipresent (1Kings 8:39; Psalm 139:1-4,15-16; Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 9:4; 10:29-30; 12:25; Mark 2:6-8; Luke 6:8; John 1:47-48; 4:18; 11:11-15; Acts 1:24; 1Corinthians 2:10-11; 1John 3:20). And this is why in Acts 10:33, this word is used when Cornelius said to Peter, “we are all here present [enopion] before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” But how could they have all been before GOD if GOD’s physical presence was not there? The answer is that GOD is Spirit (John 4:24) and omnipresent even if His physical presence cannot be seen. (In fact, GOD is present with you right now even if you’re not aware of it.)

Now, in contrast, the English word translated “presence” in 2Thessalonians 1:9 is the Greek word prosopon, which most commonly refers to a person’s face, or outward appearance, or the whole person. Just like in Matthew 18:10, this word is used to describe a personal relationship. And it is this very word that Paul uses to describe this personal relationship in 1Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” And again in 2Corinthians 3:7-18, Paul uses this word to describe a personal relationship with the Lord. Only those who have a personal relationship with the Lord will behold His face in glory as it is written in Revelation 22:4. But in 2Thessalonians 1:9, Paul appears to have taken the verbiage directly from Isaiah 2:10,19,21 as found in the Septuagint.

Now, there are many references throughout the Bible of GOD and His people being “separated,” even in this life here on this earth. This “separation” is usually depicted as GOD’s blessing or favor leaving someone. A good example of this can be seen in Deuteronomy 1:42-44: “And the Lord said to me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies.”’ So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. Instead you rebelled against the command of the Lord, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country. The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah.”

Another great example of this “separation” can be seen in 1Samuel 16:14 when “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him.” And this spirit of torment is actually a lack of GOD’s favor and blessing and is much like the fifth bowl of judgment in Revelation 16:10 where the beast’s kingdom is plunged into darkness and people gnaw their tongues because of their pain. Both the darkness and the pain calls to mind the image of those away from GOD’s presence who weep and gnash their teeth in Hell (Matthew 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). Without GOD’s favor and blessing — which is the Source of all that is good — all that remains is torment when all joy turns to gloom (Isaiah 24:11). Ponder: both a lively flower and a wilting flower are surrounded by GOD’s presence, but only the flower with life is experiencing GOD’s blessing or favor. That’s why it is written in 2Thessalonians 1:9 that the wicked “will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” The glory of GOD’s power will not rest on the wicked in Hell. Thus, this description of Hell would present a more exact opposite to Heaven. Those who enter the Kingdom of GOD experience blessing, wholeness, and joy. Think about it: those who enter the Kingdom of GOD get to dwell with the physical presence of the Lord and get to be in complete fellowship with Him, experiencing His favor and blessings. Hell, however, is associated with a complete lack of blessing due to the severing of any fellowship with GOD.

Because GOD is omnipresent and omniscient, GOD’s presence will be be in Hell — there is no escaping GOD’s presence. In fact, those in Hell will be tormented by the very knowledge of GOD’s existence (Isaiah 45:23-24; Romans 14:11-12; Philippians 2:10-11; Revelation 20:11-15). In fact, the torment people will experience in Hell will be due to the fact that they have knowledge that they rejected the Lord and will not receive GOD’s favor or blessing, nor will they see His physical presence or fellowship with Him. Life here on this earth should give you an idea about what Hell is going to be like. Just as the person who rejects and rebels against GOD here on this earth lives life “without” GOD, Hell will likewise be “without” GOD yet it will be intensified because there will be no relationship and never any blessing. Yet in this life here on this earth, GOD still blesses those living wicked lives, patiently waiting for them to repent (Matthew 5:45; 2Peter 3:9). That’s the difference. The unbelievers do not have GOD’s physical presence here on this earth yet they do still receive GOD’s unmerited favor and blessing while He patiently waits for them to repent. However, if they refuse to repent and ultimately choose not to have a relationship with GOD, then the favor and blessing will depart from them and all that will remain for the godless is torment in their knowledge of GOD’s existence.

Therefore, the conclusion of the Satanist’s argument is logically false because premise 3 is false. Hell is not the absence of GOD’s presence as the typical unbeliever would define and understand GOD’s presence; rather, Hell is the absence of relationship with GOD and the absence of GOD’s blessings. To speak of the absence of GOD’s presence is not even a coherent concept. If GOD is omnipresent, it’s absurd to ask if GOD’s presence is absent from Hell — especially when GOD created everything and holds everything together (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 8:25-31; Isaiah 46:10; John 1:1-3,14,18; 5:17-18; 8:58; 10:30-33; 17:5,24; 20:28; Colossians 1:15-17; Revelation 1:8,17; 21:6; 22:13). In fact, the unquenchable fire the unbelievers will experience in Hell is a part of GOD’s presence because that fire would not exist without GOD. And so it is simply a category mistake to ask, “Is the omnipresent GOD not present?” Of course GOD is present, both here in this life and in the life to come (Job 34:22; Psalm 139:7-12; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). But the difference between the New Earth and Hell is that Hell will not have GOD’s favor, blessing, or physical presence whereas the children of GOD on the New Earth will be blessed to have the Lord’s physical presence as well as His favor and blessings.

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The Artist J:

What is it like to be away from the presence of the Lord? If God is the sole provider and originator of every good thing in a person’s life then what is it like to have a perfectly good God not provide you with good? Or as 2Thessalonians calls it, “to be away from the presence of the Lord.”

I think looking at a few examples from scripture will give us an ever so slight glimpse into the misery that Hell will be for those outside of Christ. The first example I want to take a look at is a man named Job. Job was a man of God from the land of Uz who was very wealthy in possessions and animals, and had a wife and seven sons and three daughters which he loved very much. So much so that he continuously made offerings to God on their behalf just in case they may have sinned (Job 1:5).

Job was a man of faith and was called the greatest man in all of the east. God Himself said of him that “there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil” (Job 1:8; 2:3). Job was a man who loved God and was a man of great faith, not the type you’d expect to be an example of hell, and he didn’t go there but I think Job was someone recorded in scripture who can show us just an ever so small taste of experiencing being away from the presence of the Lord. You see, much like Christians who are preserved by God through Jesus Christ, Job likewise was persevered and blessed by God.

Then Satan came before God and the Lord presented Job before him. But Satan said to the Lord, “’Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand’ ” (Job 1:9-12).

So God for a moment in Job’s life stepped back from providing Job with His goodness, not completely because God was still protecting his life, but within that short time 11,000 of his animals died, and many of his servants and all of his children, he got loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job became absolutely miserable apart from God’s kindness toward him in Job 13:24, saying “Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy?” And that was God briefly removing His hedge around someone, and look at the suffering that was caused in Job’s life, and that is a far cry from the immensity of suffering that will be experienced by those in Hell when they are fully away from the presence of God. Suffering not by the devil’s inciting, but by the full fiery wrath of God.

Look at David in scripture, in Psalm 10:1 David says “Why oh Lord, do You stand for away? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?”

In Psalm 30:7 David says “You hid Your face, I was dismayed.”

Psalm 104:29 says, “You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust.”

Psalm 27:9 says, “Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!”

Psalm 69:17 says, “And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly.”

Psalm 143:7 says, “Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.”

As you can clearly see David was a man who did not want God to hide His face from him, and for good reason. When God hides His face then suffering is inevitable. Most of these examples are David not feeling like God is answering his prayer and so he is asking God to no longer hide His face from him. If just the act of God temporarily hiding His face from answering a prayer causes this much distress in someone, then how much more will Hell, when God’s presence will forever be removed.

God also in scripture would sometimes hide His face or His goodness from the nation of Israel because of their wickedness and when God would do this the nation would suffer much distress. It was because God hid His face from Israel that they were conquered and brought into captivity under Babylon for seventy years.

Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

Hosea 5:6 says, “They will go with their flocks and herds To seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn from them.”

Ezekiel 39:23 says, “The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword.”

So when God hid His face Israel was enslaved seventy years in Babylon, but Hell is being enslaved for all eternity with God hiding His face against you.

Just think about the examples in your own life. Has there ever been a time when you ever felt down, brokenhearted, like your very soul has been crushed and that God never hears or answers your prayers, or just doesn’t care? Like all you have is hardships and troubles. So you begin to feel like God has hidden His face from you, or worse you assume that God has left you altogether. Well you’re definitely not alone, I just gave you two examples in scripture in Job and David and there are many others in the Bible, but Hell is that way forever for the ones who do not believe on Christ.

But if you are a Christian, what can we practically learn to do today when we feel like God has hidden His face from us? As someone who does believe on Christ, and is a man or woman of God like Job and David were.

David once said in Psalm 10:1-2, “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.”

Have you ever looked around and thought that evil people who don’t know God just seem to be able to live easy without any problems while all we want to do is serve God, be healthy, have someone to love, and take care of our family, but instead all we’re met with is hardships and troubles? David felt that way, like God was hiding His face from him, and when he prayed in his distress that God wasn’t answering.

David said in Psalm 102:1-5, “Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread. Because of my loud groaning, my bones cling to my flesh.”

David was a man who wondered and questioned about God’s plans and the reasons behind why God did, and didn’t do certain things. He was a man who struggled, and was also downhearted at times. Just look at another example here in Psalm 42:11: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” 

David had to muster up his faith and convince himself to praise God because he was so down and brokenhearted at times, and yet God never left him even when he felt like God did. But instead God actually calls David a man after His own heart.

A man named Asaph in Psalm 73:11-14 writes “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.”

Habakkuk asked God, “Why do You remain silent when the wicked devours one more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13).

Jeremiah was literally called the weeping prophet. He was at many times downhearted and asked God questions, even to the point that he said “Cursed be the day I was born” and “why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?” (Jeremiah 20:14,18)

In Isaiah 53:3 it literally says that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh Himself would be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” So feeling sad and a little confused at times and have been going through many struggles, it doesn’t mean that God has left you because He never will if you’re in Christ, and as you can see, there have been many that have felt that way, so you’re in pretty good company. It may be that God has just temporary decided to hide His face.

In Psalms 10 it is written “Why oh Lord, do You stand for away? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?”

So why does God hide Himself? Why in times of trouble does God feel so far away? Even in Isaiah 45:15 it says “Truly You are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the savior.”

If something is hidden from you, logically you can do one of three things. (1) You can seek for it until you find it. (2) You can give up looking for it. (3) Or you can say it was never there.

This is why God hides Himself. To separate His righteous elect who will seek after God, from the wicked who will not. Psalm 10:4 says, “In the pride of his face the WICKED DOES NOT SEEK HIM, all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’ ”

The truth is, sometimes the very trouble we’re going through can sovereignly be used by God. He hides Himself so that we may seek and find Him. Isaiah 45:7 says, “I form light and darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” In another verse God says “I did not say ‘Seek Me in vain’ ” (Isaiah 45:19).

Your seeking the Lord will never be in vain. For God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Sometimes God hides Himself because the ones who find Him are the ones who have sought for Him with all their hearts. It’s the same reason Jesus hid Himself when He spoke in parables. The wicked didn’t have ears to hear but Jesus’s own sheep did. John 10:27-30 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

God hides Himself To separate the wicked from His own children. The wicked realize that God is hidden and say “there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). But when God hides Himself from His children, they say “Let me seek after Him with all my heart until I find Him, for He is the Lord and there is no other!”

If a father were to hide himself from His children, who would start searching for him? Would a bunch of random kids who aren’t even his begin to look for him? No. Strangers who are not the father’s kids wouldn’t even realize he was missing, but is it not true that the only ones who would know the father’s missing and start to look for him are his own children? So why would someone who is not a child of God seek out a father that is not their own?

The fact that when we feel like God is hiding from us and all we want and long desperately to do is find Him, because we believe on Jesus Christ means that the Holy Spirit is still at work within us even though God feels far from us. And since we are obviously still sealed with the Holy Spirit because no one without the Holy Spirit nudging would want to seek God. Then that mean there must be a reason why God is hiding His face. Maybe it’s a sin you need to deal with, or it’s to produce more faith. Romans 5:3-5 says that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame. Whatever the case may be, the point is that God may hide His face from you at times so that you are wondering where He is at, yet He is actually not far from us (Acts 17:27). God says “He will never leave us nor forsake us” if we are His (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).

Asaph, the same writer above in Psalms who said “the wicked are always at ease while I am stricken and rebuked every morning” is the same writer who said in Psalm 73:25-28, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

Hell is a very real place. So seek after God while He may be found, repent of sin and believe the good news of Jesus Christ, because the suffering that comes with God’s presence being hidden from you will be for all eternity in Hell. But a Christian’s trials are only for a season but then will forever be in the presence of Jesus!

Be patient when you feel as God hides His face my friends, and be not envious of evil men, because God’s patience towards sin will soon come to an end, God’s long-suffering will then be an attribute not to be seen again, so take rest now faithful women and men, until God patiently waits until the full of the elect have come, through God’s grace extended through Jesus His son, because waiting on God is only for a time, for soon God says “vengeance will all be mine”, that “There is no God” is a phrase only spoken by fools, while the wise seek mercy from God while the age is still attainable. So do just that because we may be in the final hours, and it would be a terrible thing to spend eternity away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.