Hell - The Traditional Understanding

[topcare]

What is the Traditional understanding of Hell? Are there people there now? Is it a place?

 

[Rhamiel]

spirits are now in hell
the souls of the damned and the fallen angels (who are spiritual beings) are now in hell

after the Final Judgment, there will be the fallen angels and the resurrected damned in hell

 

[SkyWriting]

What is the Traditional understanding of Hell? Are there people there now? Is it a place?

The traditional understanding of Hell is missing
the subtleties that come from a broader reading
of the entire completed Bible.

Traditionally sermons were focused on one passage
and not tempered by the whole of scripture.
As a result, Hell comes across less as an experience
and more like a physical place built with gas
burners instead of a floor to walk on.

It's a virtual place. It's more of an experience.
If you are not one with God, then you are in Hell.

Earth has some similarities in that God is
not walking here. But the Father has sent His
Holy Spirit to encourage and sustain us for the
time that this world will exist.

Our reality is similar to Hell. But this corrupted
place will end and the Father will then be one with
His children He created.

Hell is where you end up, a virtual nowhere where
you only have yourself to blame and be in torment
about what you have done to yourself and others.

The torment is internal. No one else is there to
torment you or keep you company. No Hell-bent parties.
This type of pain and loneliness burns more than
any "flames" or external torment could.

Fortunately God has accommodated our sensibilities
and He intends to destroy Hell as well in the end.
So while the torment takes place in an eternal
realm making it seem to last an eternity, yet
it will still be destroyed. So it is both "eternal"
yet destined to end.

http://biblehub.com/revelation/20-14.htm

 

[Rhamiel]

you think souls will be destroyed?

but humans are made in the image of God?

God will wipe out something that was in His image?


Hell is forever
because the soul is immortal
and after the resurrection of the dead, the human person will be immortal
either for everlasting glory with God
or everlasting torment in separation from God

 

[SkyWriting]

you think souls will be destroyed?
but humans are made in the image of God?
God will wipe out something that was in His image?
Hell is forever
because the soul is immortal
and after the resurrection of the dead, the human person will be immortal
either for everlasting glory with God
or everlasting torment in separation from God

I go by what the manual says:

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20 Parallel Chapters

If we get TOO literal, then only the "he" or men get laked. The ladies must have another fate.

 

[Rhamiel]

there is also Daniel 12:2

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.


also there is the teaching of the Church which is the pillar of truth
hell is a reality, and it is forever

 

[ebia]

What is the Traditional understanding of Hell? Are there people there now? Is it a place?

Viewpoints differ.

Scripture is, rightly, much more interested in God putting the world to rights and inviting us to be part of that than it is in defining the alternative or enumerating who, if anyone, is going to ultimately be part of that.

 

[ebia]

there is also Daniel 12:2

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.


also there is the teaching of the Church which is the pillar of truth
hell is a reality, and it is forever

But what exactly "hell" is and who if anyone ends up involved in it is something the churches best theologians, including recent Popes and Cardinals, are pretty varied about.

 

[MoreCoffee]

What is the Traditional understanding of Hell? Are there people there now? Is it a place?

Dante's inferno more or less covers the traditional view - allowing for his poetic license and for his references to politicians of his day - a place of fiery torment where the wicked are eternally punished. As far as I know the Catholic Church has never dogmatically defined the exact nature of hell nor has she ever repudiated Dante's poetic description of it. I think that no matter what spin one may put on hell it is without doubt a very unpleasant place to which one would never want to go.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I think you will find different understandings of hell between different Traditional Christians.

The Orthodox Church is not dogmatic about hell. We are far more focused on our particular salvation.

One explanation that is commonly offered is not so much a created place full of flames and tortures designed to inflict pain/punishment upon the condemned. Rather, God is love, and loves all of His creation. However, man in a fallen and wicked state is opposed to God, and experiences His love in accordance with the passage "our God is a consuming fire". So while God loves them, they are opposed to God and hate Him and His love, so that they experience it as torture and a consuming fire. After all, is there a place where God is not present?

However, as I say, the Church is not completely dogmatic about this. You will find other Orthodox with the understanding not so different from the Dante-esque place of torture where those judged so are confined. I cannot say when in the history of the Church this belief started, but that would be instructive to know.

The Orthodox Church teaches that there has not yet been a judgment, and that happens at the end, along with the bodily resurrection, as explained in Scripture. It is at that time that a soul can be judged for hell. However, in the meantime, we do believe that souls experience a "foretaste" after death of what their lives have inclined them toward. We do not explain "where" or "how" this happens.

One thing you will not find among Traditional teaching is the idea that souls are annihilated.

I am open to correction from any of my Orthodox brothers and sisters if I have misspoken here, but I offer this because I don't think that view has yet been offered in this thread.

 

[Rhamiel]

But what exactly "hell" is and who if anyone ends up involved in it is something the churches best theologians, including recent Popes and Cardinals, are pretty varied about.

of course people end up in hell
why else would Jesus warn people again and again about the need to follow the straight path
Matthew 7:14
How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

or all the great saints who have seen visions of the multitudes in hell?
I understand that private revelations are subjective, but if there was NO ONE at all in hell then these visions would just be lies

 

[Cappadocious]

This short paper is an excellent presentation of a leading Orthodox position on Hell, Gehenna and Sheol (I disagree or would modify it slightly, but that's because I'm picky and odd).

http://jbburnett.com/resources/burnett_i-hold-the-keys-of-death-and-hell.pdf

 

[topcare]

I want to thank you all. Just a note for those who wonder in here I want the understanding form Traditional Churches only not the Protestant Evangelical understanding thank you

 

[ebia]

of course people end up in hell
why else would Jesus warn people again and again about the need to follow the straight path
Matthew 7:14
How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

Because the possibility and the choice are real.

If I warn you not to choose the chicken - it's overcooked and disgusting - that doesn't tell you anything about whether anybody will end up eating the chicken. Jesus is focused on our choice.

or all the great saints who have seen visions of the multitudes in hell?
I understand that private revelations are subjective, but if there was NO ONE at all in hell then these visions would just be lies

Conclude what you will about that.

 

[topcare]

of course people end up in hell
why else would Jesus warn people again and again about the need to follow the straight path
Matthew 7:14
How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

or all the great saints who have seen visions of the multitudes in hell?
I understand that private revelations are subjective, but if there was NO ONE at all in hell then these visions would just be lies

I am reading a book called Heaven and Hell and the description of Hell was very vivid and quite distrubing. There were people being eaten but they always healed and that goes on forever, there were people burning up but never being consumed

 

[Cappadocious]

That sounds pagan.

 

[Rhamiel]

the 3 shepherd children of Fatima saw many souls burning in hell like embers

 

[topcare]

That sounds pagan.

It's written by a Protestant and apparently what I pieced together from his NDE and I got very interested since I had an NDE. Each thing is determined by what they did not do on Earth and did not have time for God.

the 3 shepherd children of Fatima saw many souls burning in hell like embers

That is one of his descriptions too.

----

Here is the cover of the book

 

[ebia]

the 3 shepherd children of Fatima saw many souls burning in hell like embers

And many of the best theologians take a different view, Balthazar, a good number of cardinals, a few saints of the past, & likely JPII on the view that we don't know if anyone ends up "there", Benedict XvI on what it is.

The Catholic Church has room for a divergence of opinion.

 

[Cappadocious]

It's written by a Protestant and apparently what I pieced together from his NDE and I got very interested since I had an NDE. Each thing is determined by what they did not do on Earth and did not have time for God.



That is one of his descriptions too.

----

Here is the cover of the book

Still seems unChristian and pagan to me.