Scripturally, that God promises an "ever burning hell fire" for those who have not lived a good life. Where in the Bible does it say this? This seems to be a pretty common belief, both here on YA, and in the general population. Why do you believe this, if you do?
2006-11-19 00:53:00 · 10 answers · asked by JoJoCieCie 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I am absolutely thrilled that so many of us share the same belief about Hell...I asked because, when I post answers to those who believe Hell is everlasting torment, and I tell them it isn't; I get some nasty letters, telling me I have no right to say the scriptures tell us that Hell is the grave! They tell me to repent and to accept Jesus! I think studying truth is finding Him.
I believe as so many of you do, that our GOD is a loving, caring God, not wanting any of us to perish.
As to you Robert H, what right do you have to tell me I have no right to ask this question, or to ask someone to prove it to me? Who are you? And...it is my business...this is an extremely important concern. I know for sure what I believe, according to the Bible. This format is for learning and also for challenging some of us to do as God tells us to..."Prove all things"! We should never follow along blindly. I pray for your attitude about God, Robert H...and that you will find Jesus and truth. God Bless you
2006-11-19 04:18:38 · update #1
The Bible does NOT say hell is an ever burning place to torment the wicked. The popular belief is not at all Biblical, but is derived mostly from Dante's "Inferno" -- a fictitious account of a place of torment.
It is unfortunate that so many people (even among those who claim to be Christian) believe the popular version of hell, and that they don't read and study the Word of God to know the truth.
However, the Bible does describe a "Lake of fire," into which all who have not turned from doing wickedness, evil, bad, will be thrown, and they will be completely destroyed there (Matthew 10:28); they will be as though they never existed -- NOT tormented forever!
The King James Version of the Bible uses 'hell' for several words: Sheol (Hebrew) and Hades (Greek) -- which are somewhat euphemistic for the grave; Gehenna (a literal place just outside Jerusalem, a trash dump) -- a picturesque type of the Lake of fire; and tartaroo -- a temporary prison for some fallen angels.
Some common interpretive errors that lead some to think the Bible supports an unending punishment are:
Jude 7 -- where "eternal fire" is erroneously interpreted as "eternal punishment." It is not the punishment that is eternal, just the fire.
"'Aionios' is also used of...the fire, which is one of [the] instruments [of God's judgments], Mt 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7, and which is elsewhere said to be 'unquenchable,' Mark 9:43.
"The use of 'aionios here shows that the punishment referred to in 2 Thess. 1:9, is not temporary, but final, and, accordingly, the phraseology shows that its purpose is not remedial but retributive." (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary, 'Eternal', p.208)
Rev 14:11 -- " the smoke of their torments," here people tend to just ignore the "smoke of" part. It is not the torments that last forever, just the smoke.
2006-11-19 01:38:04 · answer #1 · answered by BC 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hell as most people view it today was thanks to a guy named Dante and “Dante’s Inferno”, where he describes his view on hell and it’s many levels. You are exactly right; there is no “ever burning hell fire” for those who sin. Personally we should someone burn forever just for a minuscule life of sin? Doesn’t seem something like a just and merciful God would do. Simply put, the agony coming upon those who sin (“hell”, gnashing of teeth, turmoil. etc.) comes from the knowledge of what they could have had, where they could have been, what they could have done to get there, and knowing the can never have what other have obtained. The translation that Hell is the grave is a stretch. Not only do I think there won’t be much gnashing of teeth in the grave. But if it was the grave the Bible would say so literally.
2006-11-19 01:31:28 · answer #2 · answered by Coool 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Revelation, chapter 20
10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13: And 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.
14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Hell is not the final place of torment for the unsaved, the Lake of Fire is.
2006-11-19 01:21:11 · answer #3 · answered by The Question Man 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dan 12:2 "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; Some shall live forever, other shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace." -- 'who sleep' are the dead bodies; 'live forever' are the souls in Heaven; 'shall be everlasting horror' are souls in hell.
Psalm 49 (too long to type here) tells us that the good will see the light (Heaven) and the others will never agian see the light (hell).
Matthew 25:41 "Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
Matthew 25:46 "and these will go off to eternal punishment and the righteous to eternal life."
2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 "For it is surely just on God's part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you, and to grand rest along with us to you who are undergoing afflictions, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with His mighty angels, in blazing fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."
That's all I have at the moment. Hope this answers your question.
2006-11-19 01:17:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
IN Luke 16: 19-31 the rich man was conscious and able to feel pain and remorse. IN Jude 7,13 it say's hell is "eternal Fire, the blacknes of darkness forever." and in Revlation 14:10,11 tells u the final etrernal destiny of the sinner :"he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone....the smoke of there torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or Night."
There is No doubt that Hell is real and its eternal and conscious and very painful. Where are you going when you die?
Have you ever lied (even once--fibs, white lies, etc.)? Ever stolen (anything--the value is irrelevant)? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you ever looked with lust? If you have said "Yes" to these three questions, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we’ve only looked at three of the Ten Commandments.
What a shock! God didn’t see me as the “nice guy” I imagined myself to be… and he doesn’t see you that way either. Nothing you’ve ever done is hid from His holy eyes. Will you be innocent or guilty on the Day of Judgment? Listen to your conscience. You know that you will be guilty, and therefore end up in Hell. That’s not God’s will. He provided a way for you and I to be forgiven.
He sent His Son to take our punishment: "God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He was bruised for our iniquities. Jesus then rose from the dead and defeated death.
Your own so-called “goodness” can’t get you into heaven any more than mine could. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He is the "Door," the only "mediator." There is salvation in no other name, and If you will repent (turn from sin) and place your faith and trust in jesus, God will forgive you of all past and future sins and grant you eternal life.
God Bless
WDJD
2006-11-19 01:26:31 · answer #5 · answered by WDJD 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible does not say that. Eccl. 9:5 says: "...as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all. Hell in the Bible is not a place of burning torment; it is simply the grave. More and more churches are admitting that now.
2006-11-19 01:09:01 · answer #6 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Throughout the Bible...mostly in the N.T.! God never syas anything about 'hell', He talks about a place where those who disobeyed Him will be thrown into the lake of fire, where there'll be gnashing of teeth and turmoil, etc.
2006-11-19 01:01:52 · answer #7 · answered by -♦One-♦-Love♦- 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you're not saved, you're not going to heaven. John 3:16 says it all, but you have to believe in Jesus and that means to get saved. Just because you're a good person doesn't mean you're going to heaven. You have to get saved, you cannot make it to heaven by works alone.
2006-11-19 01:24:10 · answer #8 · answered by tracy211968 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a lie, Hell is taken from the word Sheol and hades which means the common grave of mankind.
2006-11-19 01:03:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
That's quite the sense of entitlement you have there.
Why should anyone have to prove anything to you?
Let those who believe in a god or gods do just that. Why make them prove it? What business is it of yours?
2006-11-19 01:22:44 · answer #10 · answered by Robert H 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋