The Bible makes many references to Hell being a "lake of fire" and sulfur, etc.
But i read in a great book called "The Case for Faith" that Hell is not some torture chamber, God is not like that, but rather a place God lets us be,because we choose to separate ourselves from Him in this life.
In that place, we can't experience our happiness with God and there is "grinding of teeth" because we now realize the great opportunity we went away from.
2006-08-11 03:52:24 · 9 answers · asked by ryan s 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If anyone was completely removed from God, he would simply not exist, because everything draws its being from God (after all, God's name is I AM. The Bible also says "God is love," so it would seem highly uncharacteristic of Him to let people burn in sulfuric fires for all eternity). Some theologians speculate, in addition to what you just wrote, that hell is the same as heaven: it is standing in the presence of God. What separates heaven from hell is that the people in heaven have learned to love God and to receive God's love. The people in hell, on the other hand, have become so closed to God and so filled with hate that they just stand there, refusing to accept any love. It's kind of like "water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink." They are surrounded and bombarded with God's love, but their refusal to accept it based on the decisions they made in life is torture.
2006-08-11 04:09:29 · answer #1 · answered by Stephen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Revelations, the book in the Bible, talks about the lake of fire a lot, but... Revelations is known to have a lot of symbology in it, and probably shouldn't be taken literally.
However, Jesus also mentions hell as a 'fiery furnace,' read Matthew 13: 24-30, then read Matthew 13: 36-43. In the second part, Jesus explains the parable and talkes about the fiery furnace.
I'm not quite sure what to believe... most of the Bible just seems to say that it will be really bad there. But it does look like it will really suck there either way, so beware anyway, lol.
2006-08-11 11:11:37 · answer #2 · answered by arcmdark 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are 4 types or places of HELL.
The First is:
Hades a Greek word meaning grave but translates to hell
The grave is a place where the body turns back to the soil slowly, but no one is there!
Two and Three:
A place outside of heaven (outside the walls of heaven) divided into 2 sections separated by a gulf.
One side WAS the lap of Abraham where those who were not perfect in the law but believed in a savior to come rested. (Empty after the crucifixion of Christ).
The other side are those who are likely to die.
Now no one has yet been judged. So those that are still in hell, are there because there is no other place for them. It is not a place of judgment. Grinding of teeth because they that are there know the situation they are in and it is there fault.
Last:
The fourth hell is on earth, at the last judgment a lake of fire will be formed on earth just outside of Jerusalem. Those judged by God and found wanting will be thrown into the lake and die. This is the 2nd death.
They die, fade to black, gone, no more, blotted out.
The last hell will take place after the 1000 year rule of Christ.
2006-08-11 13:05:21 · answer #3 · answered by Grandreal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Revelation 21:8 in part states that Hell is a "Lake which BURNETH with fire and brimstone (SULFUR), which is the second death". Therefore, I'm inclined to believe Hell is going to smell like sulfur (among other things) for all eternity. The "gnashing of teeth" describes a very literal pain that will be experienced by all who are banished there along with the mental agony of not taking advantage of Christ's sacrifice.
2006-08-11 11:03:10 · answer #4 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could you imagine being in the presence of perfect peace and love, then being told to leave? I think this would be enough punishment for one to endure. It does describe hell as a bottomless pit. A place that Satan and his demonic angels will be cast into. They will be more than happy to torture day and night all of those that they succeeded in getting to follow them. I agree with you to a point, never want to go to hell to find out. I prefer perfect peace and love than the separation from it.
2006-08-11 11:04:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that is a metaphor but I am not ready to say that is a gospel fact. At any rate I have been freed of that conscious thru the blood of Christ by His grace. I hate the thought of any person suffering like that because they turn away from God and reject His gift... Jim
2006-08-11 11:06:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've created a false dichotomy here... You left out the option that it could not even exist. Furthermore since nobody knows what it really is (if it exists of course) there are countless intermediate ways to define/describe it.
From my observation the most likely case is it is a fictitious place created by the church to scare you into faith.
2006-08-11 11:02:37 · answer #7 · answered by ChooseRealityPLEASE 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Hebrew Hell is Sheol... which is just the grave. It is the same in Greek, unless you get into the Greek Mythology which is a fiery place where evil souls are tormented. Christianity, it seems, is ripe with paganism.
2006-08-11 14:05:11 · answer #8 · answered by Kithy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fire
2006-08-11 11:01:10 · answer #9 · answered by me 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋