Is Satan the ruler of hell? Is hell part of his kingdom? In studying and researching this topic, I believe Scripture is clear that God is the one who is ruling, and hell is not part of Satan’s kingdom.
Dr. Robert A. Peterson, in the book Hell on Trial (pp. 44, 45, 47) said, “Hell is ruled by God … It is no wonder that, as the ruler of hell, God is to be revered … God rules over everything, including heaven and hell … Instead of reigning over hell, Satan will suffer the worst punishment there.”
We must remember that there are two hells, and there are differences between them. We know from the Bible that Satan does have a kingdom, but what does it consist of?
In Matthew 12:26, Jesus said, “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. Then how will his kingdom stand?”
Jesus just told us Satan has a kingdom, and it consists of the fallen angels found in Revelation. In the book of Matthew, Satan is called, “the prince of devils.” Part of Satan’s kingdom is the fallen angels. Satan’s kingdom also consists of the atmosphere where the demons are:
— Ephesians 2:2b says that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air.”
— Daniel 10:13a says, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me.” The prince was a devil that ruled over the atmosphere and land of Persia.
— Ephesians 6:12b (NKJV) says, “[We wrestle] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The heavenly places are the atmosphere, or second heaven.
There also is another part of his kingdom.
“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, ‘All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me'” (Matt. 4:8-9, KJV). Since the devil offered the kingdoms of the world, they had to be his to give!
— 2 Corinthians 4:4 states that Satan is the “god of this world.”
— In John 14:30, Jesus said, “for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”
— “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31). His kingdom also consists of the kingdoms of the world.
There are no Scriptures to support the idea that hell is part of Satan’s kingdom. As a matter of fact, the opposite is stated in the Bible. God is the one who oversees hell, as these verses state:
— “And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Rev. 14:10b). Hell is in God’s presence.
— “Hell and destruction are before the Lord” (Prov. 15:11a).
— “Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.”” (Job 26:6).
— David said, “if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there” (Ps. 139:8b).
— Speaking of the wicked, God said, “Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them” (Amos 9:2a). God oversees hell, and He dictates what happens there. God assigns man’s rightful place and degree of torment.
And what about the gates of hell mentioned in the books of Isaiah and Matthew? Do they represent Satan’s kingdom? No. These are not gates indicating his kingdom or authority, but rather his prison. Revelation 1:18 states that Jesus is the one who has the keys of hell and death. We can conclude from Scripture that Satan’s kingdom is the fallen angels or demons, the kingdoms of the world and the second heaven or atmosphere. {eoa}
Bill Wiese is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, 23 Minutes In Hell, the story of his life-changing visit to hell in 1998. Bill has since authored six additional book titles and continues to share his experience around the world. He and his wife, Annette, founded Soul Choice Ministries in 2006 and have dedicated their lives to reaching the unsaved.
For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries, please visit us at: soulchoiceministries.org/. Find more of Bill’s teachings at: youtube.com/user/BillWieseTV.
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