The Divine Promulgation View of Hell (DPV) Addressing Some Questions on Hell
Several moral objections have been posed against the doctrine of hell that the Divine Promulgation View of Hell seeks to respond. DPV offers a moral defense to the problem of hell and its objections. The doctrine of hell has stirred many emotions among humanity, causing some to question God’s morality and even accusing Him of being a cosmic child abuser. DPV will prove that God is not immoral when it comes to the reality of hell but is sovereignly loving and merciful. God has taken measures to prevent humans from an eternity in hell. Not only has He promulgated critical information in various ways to humanity, but He gave His only begotten Son to atone for the sins of all who will accept Christ’s sacrificial payment.
Why did God create hell?
The fact that a Holy God created such an existence as hell says that it serves an intended purpose: to castigate the wickedness that has destroyed human lives, disrupted the relationship between God and His creation, and interrupted God’s plan for His people. According to the Bible, it is not God’s will for anyone to suffer in hell:
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Pet 3:9).
The Bible explains that God created hell to punish Satan and his demons and to imprison them until the Day of Judgment: “Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons” (Matt 25:41).
How can God send infants or people with mental handicaps to hell which may not have heard of Him?
The Divine Promulgation View of Hell says that God has communicated information about Himself to all humanity, including infants, children, and those with severe mental handicaps. Psalm 139:13 states, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” God created the innermost consciousness of all humans in the womb; therefore, He is able to communicate directly to those inner parts even before they are born. In the book of Hebrews, God promised to promulgate knowledge of who He is to all people, from the smallest to the greatest. “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Heb 8:11). In light of this promise, if an unborn infant or a severely disabled person dies, they know who God is because He made it so. Both can receive promulgation from God because His knowledge is within, while in the womb, and not dependent on external forces. Also, while it is often thought that young children are incapable of accepting Christ, Jesus made it clear that they are the models adults should follow to enter heaven:
“He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:2-3).
Human age or disabilities do not have the power to overcome or interfere with God’s divine methods of promulgation. While unborn infants or mentally impaired individuals may not be able to accept Christ outwardly, it logically follows that they are also not able to reject Him; therefore, they are not at risk of being consigned to hell. Scripture teaches that it is the rejection of Christ that brings condemnation (John 12:48).
How can God punish everyone the same in hell for different sins?
According to the Divine Promulgation View of Hell, the Bible shows that humanity is judged according to the sins they commit. The Bible says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). According to what is justified, some humans will be in the lake of fire together with Satan and his demons. However, humans will not receive the same punishment; God metes out punishment justly. Scripture conveys that punishment can be intensified due to compounding evil deeds storing up or increasing God’s wrath. The Bible states: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom 2:5). The Bible teaches that punishment will be equal to the crime and that everyone in hell will not receive the same chastisement.
If God is omnipotent, omniscient, and all-loving, why would He send anyone to hell?
All sin is against God and His eternal nature. This fact is substantiated in the Psalms when David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah. Clearly, David’s sin included other human beings, but He acknowledged that his sins offended and severely breached more than the earthly realm; David realized that he sinned against the eternal God. “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” (Ps 51:4). It did not matter the length of time it took for David to commit adultery or how long to plan Uriah’s death; it was the gravity and intensity of his sins that put him in contention with God. God considers the seriousness of the sin, not how long it took to commit it when deliberating eternal consequences. The Divine Promulgation View of Hell supports that the time it takes to commit a sin has less impact on eternal consequences than the severity of the sin. Fortunately for David, he was a man after God’s heart, and he repented of his finite sins, which allowed him to escape an infinite penalty.