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The center-column note on Psalm 40:2 in the Scofield Study Bible says that "an horrible pit" means "a pit of noise." This translation is supported by Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Abingdon Press, 1980 reprint, note 7588, p. 147). Here Strong's tells us that the Hebrew word "shaown" means "horrible, noise, rushing, tumult."

We may therefore translate Psalm 40:2, "He hath brought me up out of a horrible pit of noise," a pit of "horrible noise, rushing, and tumult." Thus, the Bible pictures Hell as a place of terrible noises. Five times in the New Testament Jesus spoke of the awful noises the lost will hear constantly in Hell. Let us look in the Bible at what Jesus said about the horrifying noises in Hell.

I. First, this will be the noise of those weeping in Hell.

In Hell, Jesus said, there "shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). Jesus said that God will "cut him [the unconverted] asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51). Again, Jesus told us,

"Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 22:13).

Again, Jesus said,

"Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30).

And once more, Jesus said,

"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out" (Luke 13:28).

These verses indeed produce a picture of the "horrible noise, rushing, and tumult" that will take place among those who are cast into Hell. This is no laughing matter. If you are unconverted when you die you will go to a horrifying place, filled with the rushing tumult of those who scream and gnash their teeth loudly, and weep and cry uncontrollably because of the dreadful physical pain in that place of eternal torment.

II. Second, this noise will be produced by the intense
physical agony experienced by those who enter Hell.

The Bible tells us that the Last Judgment of the unsaved dead is a ghastly reality awaiting those who have never been truly converted. Describing the Last Judgment, the Bible says,

"The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works…And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:13, 15).

The intense pain caused by being cast into the Lake of Fire will produce great physical agony and doubtlessly lead many of the doomed to cry out, and scream in the unbearable flames.

To escape from Hell is to escape from the "horrible noise," and the rushing tumult of the damned as they are thrown into the everlasting pit of fire.

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit - a pit of noise" (Psalm 40:2).

It is worth anything in this world to escape from the pit of Hell. Jesus said,

"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell"
     (Matthew 5:29-30).

Make no mistake about it, your body will be resurrected. That means that your physical body will experience the intense pain of Hell. Dr. John R. Rice spoke of this when he said, "All those in the second resurrection are judged according to their sins and sent forever into the lake of fire" (Dr. John R. Rice, When Skeletons Come Out of Their Closets, Sword of the Lord, 1978, p. 11). Oh, the horrible sounds, the violent commotion and noise of Hell! Jesus warned us of this many times.

III. Third, this noise will come from conscious people in Hell.

Many people think that there is no consciousness after death. This is proven wrong in two ways.

First, the Bible presents an interview with a man in Hell who was fully conscious. This interview is given in Luke 16:22-31. Jesus repeated this word-for-word interview with a fully conscious man who was tormented in the flames of Hell (cf. Luke 16:24). This word-for-word interview is the first proof that lost people are completely conscious in Hell. The man in Hell said,

"I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:24).

The second proof that people are conscious in Hell is from the account of Korah. When the ground opened up, Korah went down to Hell. The Bible says that he

"went down alive into the pit" (Numbers 16:33).

Numbers 16:30 says that they went "down quick [alive] into the pit [sheol]" (Numbers 16:30). Dr. Henry M. Morris said,

The word "pit" here is sheol, which is the equivalent of hades (commonly translated "hell") in the New Testament, so that this event was no ordinary earthquake but was indeed a "new thing." Korah and his followers descended quick ("alive") deep into the great cavity at the center of the earth where the spirits of the lost - both men and angels - are now confined (Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., The Defender's Study Bible, Word, 1995, note on Numbers 16:30, p. 191).

The New Testament speaks of perishing "in the gainsaying of Core [Korah]" (Jude 11). We are specifically told that people like Korah will go to Hell.

"To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever"
    (Jude 13).

It is very clear that Korah "went down alive" into Hell. And so will you, if you remain unconverted. The loud, tumultuous noise and violent sounds from Hell, come from fully conscious people there.

IV. Fourth, this noise will be produced by people whose memories haunt them.

In the word-for-word interview that Jesus gave to us, the man in Hell was told,

"Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things…" (Luke 16:25).

People in Hell will remember that they heard the gospel but rejected it, heard about Christ but would not come to Him. They will remember that they could have been saved during their lifetime on earth, but now, in Hell, it is too late to be saved. No one in Hell can ever be saved. The Bible says,

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

The Bible teaches that you only live once. And you are either saved or lost during your life on earth. That's why it's so important to get saved now - before it is everlastingly too late. That's why the Bible says,

"To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts"
    (Hebrews 3:7-8).

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?"
    (Hebrews 2:3).

Jesus died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sin. Jesus shed His Blood so your sin could be washed clean. Jesus rose physically from the dead so you could have eternal life. But you must come to Christ. You must trust Christ to be saved.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…" (John 1:12).

Will you receive Christ? Will you believe on Him?

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…"
    (Acts 16:31).

It will be too late to receive Christ when you are in Hell.

When the Titanic sank, there were only enough life boats to save part of the people. One thousand six hundred and thirty-five people drowned in the ocean when the Titanic sank. During a hearing before the United States Senate, witness after witness testified concerning the people who perished when the great ocean liner sank. Finally a man named Herbert Pittman testified. One Senator asked him, "Mr. Pittman, can you describe the screams as the ship went down?" Herbert Pittman buried his head in his hands and began to sob almost uncontrollably. A hush fell over the Senate. Mr. Pittman finally began to speak in broken words. He said, "Sir, you ask about the screams. And the best answer to your question is this. Sir, it was just one, long, continuous moan." That's the way it will be in Hell.

But look at our text again.

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit [a pit of noise - Scofield], out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" (Psalm 40:2).

When you come to Christ, He is the rock! Setting your "feet upon a rock" means that you must take a stand on Christ. He is the rock of salvation. Christ forgives all sin and gives you a new life when you come to Him. Will you come to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, tonight? I pray that you will.

Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. Kreighton L. Chan: Luke 16:22-26.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:

"He Bought My Soul" (by Stuart Hamblen, 1908-1989).