Different levels of hell

[Komplex001]

I read somewhere that not all sins are equal in a way. I mean if you sin and are not saved and in hell, that there are different levels of torture depending on the sin. So if you only like simply did some small stealing or a simple white lie, would you only get a slap on the wrists for the rest of your life? And if you were a murderer and a rapist you'd get the worst punishment imaginable? I just find this interesting.

 

[BalaamsAss51]

Hello Komplex001.

"As the essence of heaven is fellowship with God, so the essence of hell is exclusion from this fellowship. Deprived of the blissful presence of God and the glory bestowed on the believers (2 Th 1:9; Mt 25:41), the unbelievers will languish in the company of the evil spirits to bemoan, in abject despair, their willful impenitence during the time of grace and their unalterable condemnation (Mt 8:12). This punishment, which is never alleviated, will be eternal in the 2-fold sense that it suffers no interruption (Lk 16:24–26) and has no end (Mk 9:48). Degrees of punishment are clearly taught Mt 11:22–24; Lk 12:47–48. Those who spurned the proffered grace and knew the Lord's will, will be punished more severely than those who never heard the Gospel. Hypocrites who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayer shall receive the greater damnation (Mt 23:14). Wherein this difference consists has not been revealed, and we should not presume to know."

Got the above from the Lutheran Cyclopedia. Hope it helps.

Pax

 

[PrincetonGuy]

Check out The Apocalypse of Peter for a detailed, graphic description of the punishments in hell.

 

[hippiechild]

Just out of curiosity...I thought that God does not judge sins as having different levels or degrees. I've never thought of sin has having degrees. That also feeds my thought on there not being "levels" and different degrees of "torture" in hell. If He loves us so much, why would we be tortured any more than having to spend eternity dead? He wouldn't do that. Sin is not measured.

 

[BalaamsAss51]

Hello hippiechild.

It's hard to describe the indescribable, isn't it?

Sin in deed is sin, no matter what that sin is. Any sin (any disobedience to God's Word, doing what you are not supposed to do or not doing what you should do, and don't forget why you are doing or not doing it) is enough to merit eternal damnation.

It never seemed fair to me, but I'm human and don't want to be damned. And God didn't ask my opinion anyway.

Pax

 

[hippiechild]

Hey, my uncle has a band called Balaam's Talking Ass...Just thought i'd throw that in to lighten things up?!

 

[Komplex001]

Yeah, despite everything, the mere idea of hell frankly scares me. I thank God in my heart everyday for Jesus's sacrafice for our sins. Don't get me wrong, I am a christian because I love God and want to be, and I feel more at peace with his ways then being an unsaved sinner. I feel complete. No one should just be a christian out of fear of hell, but because it's right and good.

 

[ShepherdsServant]

Not all sins are equal. That's why several of them have different punishments.

As for eternal torture... I really don't see where people go to hell and are physically tortured for all eternity. Besides as soon as the eternity starts, all that is unrighteous is cast into the lake of fire, and will cease to exist completely.
Let's look at Lazarus and the rich man, it states the rich man is in hell but he can also look across a great gulf which they are seperated by to see Lazarus in Abrahams bosom.
The rich man was in torments.
3600 odunao od-oo-nah'-o from 3601; to grieve:--sorrow, torment. see GREEK for 3601

He was given the sorrow of God, he was tormented in the flame.

Christ speaking of different sections of Heaven:
John 14
2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "

Soul returns to God when you die:
2 Cor 5
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord

As well as Ecclesiastes 12
7 shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

So back to the main question. There are different kinds of hell if you include the abyss which is just for fallen angels/supernatural, as well as where the rich man went. It seems as though there are different sections of Heaven, which includes some part of hell.

Hope that helped

God Bless

 

[BrandonGray]

Hell is eternal seperation from god, I don't know if anything can get worse than that whether you get slapped on the wrist the rest of eternity or get something worse.

 

[lordvoldemort]

The different levels of hell is not a christian doctrine, it comes from the fictional story Dante Inferno and also Paradise Lost.

Because these two books are very popular they have found their way into our thinking of what "hell" is.

Personaly, hell is just another name for the grave, everyone goes to hell, everyone will lie in the grave at one point or another.

 

[Love321]

HELL: DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT

REV 14:11 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

REV 20:11-15 : and they were judged every man according to their works.


ROMANS2:5 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

MATHEW 11:23 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Matthew 10:15
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Matthew 11:22
But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Matthew 11:24
But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

Mark 6:11
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.


GOD BLESS
LOVE321

 

[Easystreet]

As a believer who holds to only 66 books in the cannon I reject any notion of a purgatory.

However, Jesus did say and indicate that eternal punishment would be worse for some than others. So in light of this I would say based upon Jesus' statement that it is true.

That is all we have from Scripture so I would leave it at that. Trying to build a hierarchy of punishment is only speculation, but to say there is based upon what Christ said is factual. We just don't know everything, but do know what He said. That is as far as I would take it.

God Bless

Love Always Finds A Way

 

[Gary777]

Hello Komplex001.

"As the essence of heaven is fellowship with God, so the essence of hell is exclusion from this fellowship. Deprived of the blissful presence of God and the glory bestowed on the believers (2 Th 1:9; Mt 25:41), the unbelievers will languish in the company of the evil spirits to bemoan, in abject despair, their willful impenitence during the time of grace and their unalterable condemnation (Mt 8:12). This punishment, which is never alleviated, will be eternal in the 2-fold sense that it suffers no interruption (Lk 16:24–26) and has no end (Mk 9:48). Degrees of punishment are clearly taught Mt 11:22–24; Lk 12:47–48. Those who spurned the proffered grace and knew the Lord's will, will be punished more severely than those who never heard the Gospel. Hypocrites who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayer shall receive the greater damnation (Mt 23:14). Wherein this difference consists has not been revealed, and we should not presume to know."

Got the above from the Lutheran Cyclopedia. Hope it helps.

Pax

If the essence of the matter is fellowship with God, and the lack of it, and the "big" sinner is more damned than the "little" sinner, then that must mean that the worse of the two is somehow placed further away from Gods precense than the other. It that should make any sence, then there must be something of the precense of God in hell. Not?

 

[Ragnaros]

Hello, all. I am writing what Hell is like for a large story I've been working on for years. Can anyone tell me if my vision of Hell contradicts the Bible anywhere?

-The permanent Hell consists of a large 2 dimensional land (in that it is not spherical planet), which is bounded on all sides by thick rock. It is like a disc shaped opening within rock. In the center of the cavern is a large lava pit. This is the Lake of Fire. In the center of the lava pit, jutting out miles into the blackness above, all the way to the rocky ceiling, is the Tower of Babel, where Satan and his legions of demons live. Surrounding the Lake of Fire are rocky and barren lands. Here is where the damned spend most of their time. The land of Hell is lit dimly by the Lake of Fire, but the light is a depressing and dull red; nothing is bright.

-At the great judgement, all those who have not accepted Christ are thrown into a black pit. The damned will fall into this pit, and fall until they pass through a one way boundary between physical universes. They now are in Hell, and below them, they see a bright ocean of lava - this is the Lake of Fire. They fall into it, and are immediately in agony from the searing heat. Demons flying around, eager for the taste of newcommer flesh, swoop down and capture the sinner. The sinner is taken to the Tower of Babel, and subjected to torture so great that the pain is more than a thousand times worse what the human body on Earth is even capable of feeling. Once the demon becomes bored with the sinner (typically, those with more evil in their hearts will be tortured longer, as they provide mroe amusement for the demons), he casts the sinner out of the Tower and back into the Lake of Fire. The severe torture causes the sinner to fully realize the weight of their sin. Those who have a severe weight of sin will be unable to bear their sin, and go insane. Those who can bear their sin, but spent their lives primarily in the service of themselves, will remain sane, and will find their way out of the Lake of Fire into one of the large cities of Hell. Those who had spent their lives in service of others more than themselves realize that they have fallen short of the glory of God, and that it is too late for heaven. However, they are drawn to a section of Hell that is more like Earth than the rest of Hell. More on all three of these groups below.

-One's soul is part of the physical body in Hell. The soul is indestructable, while the rest of the body can be destroyed. When part of the body, or even all of the body is destroyed, it will regenerate over time around the soul. The insane "zombies" will typically have limbs torn off, will be disemboweled, and subject to acts that would kill them on Earth, but instead their bodies will just regenerate, which usually means they simply must be subject to such horrible violence again and again.

-Those in life who were consumed by evil hearts, or who acted on evil desires far more than good desires, become insane zombie-like inhabitants of Hell. They roam the lands, fighting and killing anything they see. They truly have a tortured existence. They are disorganized, and will typically provide petty amusement for the demons.

-Those in life who were not particularly good or evil by their actions, become citizens of the many large city-states of Hell. They live their eternal lifes in these cities. It is a depressing existence, and they spend much of their time defending the city against the "zombies", and against the demons, who are constantly on the lookout for damned to bring back to the Tower of Babel and torture. The citizens may converse with each other to pass the time, train in physical combat with each other (which is important to protect the cities against the demons and the "zombies"), or some may indulge in carnal pleasures, such as sex, gluttony, and sleeping a lot. None of these citizens are really happy, but they still fare better than the "zombies". Demons find abducting these people to be a fine treat, and will torture a citizen of one of these cities for a while should the citizen be captured. After the demon tires of the citizen, the citizen will just make their way back to their city.

-For a few, there is a special place in Hell which is more like Earth than the rest of Hell. These are people who have lived lives of love and service to others, but never accepted Christ. This is the only place in Hell that is lit by sunlight (coming through a large opening in the ceiling), and that has green vegetation. This place is separated by the rest of Hell by a long tunnel, which must be constantly guarded to prevent demons or "zombies" or those unworthy of being here from getting in. Fortunately, it is a narrow tunnel, so it is easy to defend. Most people here are at peace, and can actually experience love and sometimes joy.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

I read somewhere that not all sins are equal in a way. I mean if you sin and are not saved and in hell, that there are different levels of torture depending on the sin. So if you only like simply did some small stealing or a simple white lie, would you only get a slap on the wrists for the rest of your life? And if you were a murderer and a rapist you'd get the worst punishment imaginable? I just find this interesting.

Matt 11:20-24 they got to see more glory and they still denied Jesus ... not giving credit to the Saviour

 

[Mikecpking]

Hello, all. I am writing what Hell is like for a large story I've been working on for years. Can anyone tell me if my vision of Hell contradicts the Bible anywhere?

Sounds very much like Dante's inferno! There is a point which I will highlight where the bible states the soul is anything but immortal or indestructable.

-The permanent Hell consists of a large 2 dimensional land (in that it is not spherical planet), which is bounded on all sides by thick rock. It is like a disc shaped opening within rock. In the center of the cavern is a large lava pit. This is the Lake of Fire. In the center of the lava pit, jutting out miles into the blackness above, all the way to the rocky ceiling, is the Tower of Babel, where Satan and his legions of demons live. Surrounding the Lake of Fire are rocky and barren lands. Here is where the damned spend most of their time. The land of Hell is lit dimly by the Lake of Fire, but the light is a depressing and dull red; nothing is bright.

-At the great judgement, all those who have not accepted Christ are thrown into a black pit. The damned will fall into this pit, and fall until they pass through a one way boundary between physical universes. They now are in Hell, and below them, they see a bright ocean of lava - this is the Lake of Fire. They fall into it, and are immediately in agony from the searing heat. Demons flying around, eager for the taste of newcommer flesh, swoop down and capture the sinner. The sinner is taken to the Tower of Babel, and subjected to torture so great that the pain is more than a thousand times worse what the human body on Earth is even capable of feeling. Once the demon becomes bored with the sinner (typically, those with more evil in their hearts will be tortured longer, as they provide mroe amusement for the demons), he casts the sinner out of the Tower and back into the Lake of Fire. The severe torture causes the sinner to fully realize the weight of their sin. Those who have a severe weight of sin will be unable to bear their sin, and go insane. Those who can bear their sin, but spent their lives primarily in the service of themselves, will remain sane, and will find their way out of the Lake of Fire into one of the large cities of Hell. Those who had spent their lives in service of others more than themselves realize that they have fallen short of the glory of God, and that it is too late for heaven. However, they are drawn to a section of Hell that is more like Earth than the rest of Hell. More on all three of these groups below.

-One's soul is part of the physical body in Hell. The soul is indestructable, while the rest of the body can be destroyed. When part of the body, or even all of the body is destroyed, it will regenerate over time around the soul. The insane "zombies" will typically have limbs torn off, will be disemboweled, and subject to acts that would kill them on Earth, but instead their bodies will just regenerate, which usually means they simply must be subject to such horrible violence again and again.

-Those in life who were consumed by evil hearts, or who acted on evil desires far more than good desires, become insane zombie-like inhabitants of Hell. They roam the lands, fighting and killing anything they see. They truly have a tortured existence. They are disorganized, and will typically provide petty amusement for the demons.

-Those in life who were not particularly good or evil by their actions, become citizens of the many large city-states of Hell. They live their eternal lifes in these cities. It is a depressing existence, and they spend much of their time defending the city against the "zombies", and against the demons, who are constantly on the lookout for damned to bring back to the Tower of Babel and torture. The citizens may converse with each other to pass the time, train in physical combat with each other (which is important to protect the cities against the demons and the "zombies"), or some may indulge in carnal pleasures, such as sex, gluttony, and sleeping a lot. None of these citizens are really happy, but they still fare better than the "zombies". Demons find abducting these people to be a fine treat, and will torture a citizen of one of these cities for a while should the citizen be captured. After the demon tires of the citizen, the citizen will just make their way back to their city.

-For a few, there is a special place in Hell which is more like Earth than the rest of Hell. These are people who have lived lives of love and service to others, but never accepted Christ. This is the only place in Hell that is lit by sunlight (coming through a large opening in the ceiling), and that has green vegetation. This place is separated by the rest of Hell by a long tunnel, which must be constantly guarded to prevent demons or "zombies" or those unworthy of being here from getting in. Fortunately, it is a narrow tunnel, so it is easy to defend. Most people here are at peace, and can actually experience love and sometimes joy.

What is 'soul' from the biblical perspective? Soul has various meanings such as the whole person to the life of a person. 'Nephesh' or soul is not an immaterial part which leaves the body at death; rather it dies.

Numbers 23:10 ..Let me (My soul, Nephesh) die the death of the righteous, let my end be like theirs!

DT12:23.. The soul is in the blood..

Ez 18: ..the soul that sins will die..

The Hebrews had no concept of a person being separated into parts. Rather, they looked at people as being a unity where soul, spirit, body, heart were different ways or perspectives to the whole person. The Greek idea that souls were immortal has influenced Christianity far too long and cannot be supported throughout scripture.

 

[Renton405]

As a believer who holds to only 66 books in the cannon I reject any notion of a purgatory.

However, Jesus did say and indicate that eternal punishment would be worse for some than others. So in light of this I would say based upon Jesus' statement that it is true.

That is all we have from Scripture so I would leave it at that. Trying to build a hierarchy of punishment is only speculation, but to say there is based upon what Christ said is factual. We just don't know everything, but do know what He said. That is as far as I would take it.

God Bless

Love Always Finds A Way

Purgatory is mentioned in the bible. Remember the prison jesus went to to preach the gospel in the afterlife? This is a temporary abode ...

Whether is still exists or was abolished when jesus was finished there is up to debate. But there was a type of "purgatory" for sure in the bible.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

but one cannot come out of there ... after you are sent

 

[FallingWaters]

Purgatory is mentioned in the bible. Remember the prison jesus went to to preach the gospel in the afterlife? This is a temporary abode ...

Whether is still exists or was abolished when jesus was finished there is up to debate. But there was a type of "purgatory" for sure in the bible.

There is only a purgatory in the Bible in the Catholic opinion, not in the Protestant opinion.

The scripture you refer to is this:
1 Peter 3:18- For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring £us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, £when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

This is what Adam Clarke says about it:
"I have quoted all these authorities from the most authentic and correct copies of the Vulgate, to show that from them there is no ground to believe that the text speaks of Christ’s going to hell to preach the Gospel to the damned, or of his going to some feigned place where the souls of the patriarchs were detained, to whom he preached, and whom he delivered from that place and took with him to paradise, which the Romish Church holds as an article of faith."

"The inhabitants of the antediluvian world, who, having been disobedient, and convicted of the most flagrant transgressions against God, were sentenced by his just law to destruction. But their punishment was delayed to see if they would repent; and the long-suffering of God waited one hundred and twenty years, which were granted to them for this purpose; during which time, as criminals tried and convicted, they are represented as being in prison—detained under the arrest of Divine justice, which waited either for their repentance or the expiration of the respite, that the punishment pronounced might be inflicted. This I have long believed to be the sense of this difficult passage, and no other that I have seen is so consistent with the whole scope of the place."

 

[Renton405]

There is only a purgatory in the Bible in the Catholic opinion, not in the Protestant opinion.

The scripture you refer to is this:
1 Peter 3:18- For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring £us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, £when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

This is what Adam Clarke says about it:
"I have quoted all these authorities from the most authentic and correct copies of the Vulgate, to show that from them there is no ground to believe that the text speaks of Christ’s going to hell to preach the Gospel to the damned, or of his going to some feigned place where the souls of the patriarchs were detained, to whom he preached, and whom he delivered from that place and took with him to paradise, which the Romish Church holds as an article of faith."

"The inhabitants of the antediluvian world, who, having been disobedient, and convicted of the most flagrant transgressions against God, were sentenced by his just law to destruction. But their punishment was delayed to see if they would repent; and the long-suffering of God waited one hundred and twenty years, which were granted to them for this purpose; during which time, as criminals tried and convicted, they are represented as being in prison—detained under the arrest of Divine justice, which waited either for their repentance or the expiration of the respite, that the punishment pronounced might be inflicted. This I have long believed to be the sense of this difficult passage, and no other that I have seen is so consistent with the whole scope of the place."

Well them most protestants obvoiusly dont believe the epistle of peter then..its pretty obvious the verse talks about a temporary abode for people since the time of the flood