What do you think Hell really is?

Question

For some reason, I seem to be obsessed with curiosity about Hell. What is it? Is it eternal? What do you think (no need to base it on what a specific religion says)?

Answer 1

There are three words translated "hell" in Scripture:
Gehenna (Greek): The place of punishment (Matthew 5:22,29; 10:28; and James 3:6)

Hades (Greek): The abode of the dead (Matthew 11:23; 16:18, Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27)

Sheol (Hebrew): The grave (Psalm 9:17; 16:10)

There are those who accept that hell is a place of punishment, but believe that the punishment is to be annihilated—to cease conscious existence. They can’t conceive that the punishment of the wicked will be conscious and eternal. If they are correct, then a man like Adolph Hitler, who was responsible for the deaths of millions, is being "punished" merely with eternal sleep. His fate is simply to return to the non-existent state he was in before he was born, where he doesn’t even know that he is being punished.

However, Scripture paints a different story. The rich man who found himself in hell (Luke 16:19–31) was conscious. He was able to feel pain, to thirst, and to experience remorse. He wasn’t asleep in the grave; he was in a place of "torment." If hell is a place of knowing nothing or a reference to the grave into which we go at death, Jesus' statements about hell make no sense. He said that if your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin, it would be better to remove it than to "go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:43–48).

The Bible refers to the fate of the unsaved with such fearful words as the following:

"Shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2)
"Everlasting punishment" (Mathew 25:46)
"Weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51)
"Fire unquenchable" (Luke 3:17)
"Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" (Romans 2:8,9)
"Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
"Eternal fire...the blackness of darkness for ever" (Jude 7,13)

Revelation 14:10,11 tells us the final, eternal destiny of the sinner: "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone...the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night."

Answer 2

Hell is something that has been invented to scare people into submission. If you believe in the bible than you should forget what you've been told and study it for yourself. There is a parable in the new testament which many people claim describes hell and what happens to the wicked after they die. Problem is that it is a parable. (a story that makes a point) If you compare what most Christians think hell is based on the parable and then compare it to the rest of the teachings of the bible, you will find that it simply does not add up. The very first lie in the bible was told by the serpent when he told Eve that if she ate of the fruit she would not die. God had told her that if she ate of the fruit she would die. Now we have Christians telling people the same lie in a different form. They will tell you if you are an unrepentant sinner you will not die, you will instead spend eternity suffering torment in hell. That is not what the bible says. It says the wages of sin is death. However, the good news is that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Answer 3

The Bible says that hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire. So hell can't be forever can it? Hell is just a waiting place where there is no comfort and the agony of our sins is first manifest to us. This is seen in the parable of the rich man and Lazarth the Lord told us so we could see the difference between the saved and the unsaved before the judgment.. Go'd final judgment is far worse than mere hell. The Lake of Fire is described as the second death. since Bible tell us that a resurrection body is raised incorruptible that Second Death will be eternal punishment.... Jim

Answer 4

Hell is a dark, lonely, firery, tortuous, hopeless temporary place. I imagine it to be a place full of hate, crammed full of people who are utterly alone, absolutely lost, wondering endlessly. I also imagine hell as a holding cell, not as bad as the real jail in some respects.

At the judgement, Death and Hell, Satan, his fallen angels, and their followers all get dumped into the Lake of Fire to burn forever in the Second Death.

Answer 5

hell is a place that a human goes after you die and if you did not accept Jesus in your heart. We are all human so all have sinned, but god does not allow sinners in heaven because heaven is a perfect place and would not be perfect if they allow sinners in it. When you accept Jesus into your heart and commit your life to him he takes away your sins for you so you can go to heaven. Hell is where the sinners go that Satan rules over the way he chooses. It is a horrible place that souls will be in anguish for eternally.

Answer 6

H.E.L.L By: Nereida Lozada

This is a story
I have to tell
It's about
what goes on in Hell.

Hell is a place
you don't want to be.
It's suffering in agony
where demons run free.

Down in Hell
the flames never die.
It's where lost souls
let out painful cries.

Torture and Torment
is what they face.
And there's no getting out
of this dreadful place.

The air is filled
with rotted flesh smell
This is what you await
if your soul goes to Hell.

Satan has many
tricks up his sleeve.
To make you think
he's the one to believe.

but let me tell you
he is a liar.
He just can't wait
to get you in his fire.

Once you're in there
Satan does what he pleases
so I advice you to go to Jesus.

But do it now!
Don't let it wait,
cause once you're in Hell
It's just too late.

Answer 7

One of the outcomes of curiosity is self preservation !

If you have committed your life to God based on what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross -- then when you die, you go to be with God, to live in his presence for eternity.

If you reject the gospel of Jesus Christ (i.e., do not commit your life to God based on what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross) -- then you will ultimately go to the negative afterlife (where you will experience negative consequences that match the extent to which you sinned and rebelled against God and that match the extent to which you hurt others by your actions or inaction.)

Hell is not about benefits. It is about Justice.

Hell is a consequence of the Justice of God -- and the harm/evil that is done by humans (to each other) during their lifetimes on earth.

It is eternal separation from God's presence and power,, a furnace/lake of fire where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, a place of shame, flaming fire and agony where there is no lucky escape such as death.

Best,
Agate

Answer 8

Hell is HELL its the same its hot it holds burning spirits of sinners and yes sadly its eternal but i believe who is there now if they are asking for forgivness and praying to God God just might let them up on Judgment day

Answer 9

Hell is being faced with the wrath of God for your sins.
It is a place of outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a place that is utterly forsaken by God. Hell is a place of no hope, no peace, and no rest and it will last like that day and night forever.

Answer 10

Mu understanding is that yes, it is eternal, it is 7 times hotter than any heat experienced and it is commonly know as a place of torment originally designed for Satan and his demons.