Hell

[Brandlynn]

I was just wanting to know something. Forgive my ignorance, but what do you all think that hell will be like. My husband and I were talking about it, and he told me that he always thought that hell was like a lake of fire. I have always thought of hell as you would step off of a ledge and fall and fall and fall and fall....my mom thinks that there will be things that will torture you there, maybe even things that you are afraid of here, like I am afraid of mice, so if I went to hell, I would be tortured with mice along with the flames. I have even heard one guy that said that he had a vision of him being put into a cell, and a demon or something came and grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Then it with it's long claws reached into his flesh and ripped it out for more to grow back. But what do you all think that hell will be like?

 

[CryptoLutheran]

I'm of the same opinion, more-or-less, as St. Isaac the Syrian.

According to St. Isaac Hell isn't about location--as everyone is in the presence of the Eternal and Omnipresent God--but is instead about the experience of the wicked in the presence of God.

"As for me I say that those who are tormented in hell are tormented by the invasion of love. What is there more bitter and violent than the pains of love? Those who feel they have sinned against love bear in themselves a damnation much heavier than the most dreaded punishments. The suffering with which sinning against love afflicts the heart is more keenly felt than any other torment. It is absurd to assume that the sinners in hell are deprived of God’s love. Love is offered impartially. But by its very power it acts in two ways. It torments sinners, as happens here on earth when we are tormented by the presence of a friend to whom we have been unfaithful. And it gives joy to those who have been faithful.

That is what the torment of hell is in my opinion: remorse. But love inebriates the souls of the sons and daughters of heaven by its detectability."


-CryptoLutheran

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

Well, I hope I don't find out!



The pain of sense is almost a minor part of the punishment of hell. The biggest and most significant punishment is the loss of the vision of God -- the pain of damnation or pain of loss. There is utter confusion in hell, nothing works right since it is all corrupted by sin. But there remains "the worm which dieth not", which is the pains of conscience about what we have done (which is also why Dante and others depict punishments which fit the crime), and no matter how much torment we are in, we know that we absolutely deserve it -- we know the justice of God is right, yet we loathe it and scream blasphemies at Him forever.

Don Bosco - "The Road to Hell"

Fr. Chad Ripperger, FSSP, has a series of lectures on the Four Last Things (Death, Judgment, Hell, Heaven) which will put the fear of God into you, he goes into the Thomistic understandings of the pains of hell.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

dp. (why is this happening so much now?)

 

[ebia]

The bible seems much more interested in the Kingdom of God than the alternative. After all, the alternative is well and truely embodied in all the ____ in the world anyway.

I rather like the cohesiveness of the suggest that we become like that which we worship and therefore if we completely and ultimately reject God we will eventually lose all trace of being in his image - that is, we cease to be human any more.

Alternatively:

If there were such a thing as a loneliness that could no longer be penetrated and transformed by the word of another; if a state of abandonment were to arise that was so deep that no “you” could reach into it any more, then we should have real, total loneliness and dreadfulness, what theology calls “hell”. We can now define exactly what this word means: it denotes a loneliness that the word love can no longer penetrate and that therefore indicates the exposed nature of existence in itself. ... In truth—one thing is certain: there exists a night into whose solitude no voice reaches; there is a door through which we can only walk alone—the door of death. In the last analysis, all the fear in the world is fear of this loneliness. From this point of view, it is possible to understand why the Old Testament has only one word for hell and death, the word sheol; it regards them as ultimately identical. Death is absolute loneliness. But the loneliness into which love can no longer advance is—hell.

 

[ebia]

.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Brandlynn. I believe Hell to be without God. A place in Outer Darkness without God`s Love or Light, where there can be heard loud wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some of your replies make me think though: there could be a place where those without love are confronted with deeds of love, so overpowering that it hurts. You know: " kill them with love." But I hasten to add that God is Love, and God would never use " Hurting Tactics," to teach us. I still believe that Hell is a place in Outer Darkness, without God`s Love or Light. We know that God does not force us, and Jesus died that we might live. As long as we follow" Jesus The Way,". we will return to God, where we came from.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Brandlynn. I forgot to send greetings to you. Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Timothew]

According to the concordance at biblos.com, "hell" appears 53 times in english bibles:

Here's a link Bible Concordance: Hell

I want to post more on this when I have time, "hell" is not in the greek or hebrew (since it is an english word).

 

[Yab Yum]

I'm of the same opinion, more-or-less, as St. Isaac the Syrian.

According to St. Isaac Hell isn't about location--as everyone is in the presence of the Eternal and Omnipresent God--but is instead about the experience of the wicked in the presence of God.

"As for me I say that those who are tormented in hell are tormented by the invasion of love. What is there more bitter and violent than the pains of love? Those who feel they have sinned against love bear in themselves a damnation much heavier than the most dreaded punishments. The suffering with which sinning against love afflicts the heart is more keenly felt than any other torment. It is absurd to assume that the sinners in hell are deprived of God’s love. Love is offered impartially. But by its very power it acts in two ways. It torments sinners, as happens here on earth when we are tormented by the presence of a friend to whom we have been unfaithful. And it gives joy to those who have been faithful.

That is what the torment of hell is in my opinion: remorse. But love inebriates the souls of the sons and daughters of heaven by its detectability."


-CryptoLutheran

I think hell is the inability to repent.

 

[E.C.]

I was just wanting to know something. Forgive my ignorance, but what do you all think that hell will be like. My husband and I were talking about it, and he told me that he always thought that hell was like a lake of fire. I have always thought of hell as you would step off of a ledge and fall and fall and fall and fall....my mom thinks that there will be things that will torture you there, maybe even things that you are afraid of here, like I am afraid of mice, so if I went to hell, I would be tortured with mice along with the flames. I have even heard one guy that said that he had a vision of him being put into a cell, and a demon or something came and grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Then it with it's long claws reached into his flesh and ripped it out for more to grow back. But what do you all think that hell will be like?

"Hell" is the state of being in which one rejects God.

I was in Hell for a while some years ago. Everyday I was living in a horrible state of depression the likes of which I'd never known. No hope. No nothing.

It was Hell.

 

[ivebeenshown]

"Hell" is the state of being in which one rejects God.

I was in Hell for a while some years ago. Everyday I was living in a horrible state of depression the likes of which I'd never known. No hope. No nothing.

It was Hell.

You think that is hell, and I agree it is hellish, and you still had God working all around you as the Spirit of Love! Can you imagine an everlasting existence completely devoid of his presence around you? :o

 

[Timothew]

So to answer the question, "What is Hell like?" I have to ask, "What do you mean by Hell?"

Do you mean gehenna? 12 instances of gehenna are translated "Hell."
Gehenna is the valley outside Jerusalem.

10 instances of Hades are translated hell. Hades is the greek idea of the place the spirits of the dead go, also the guy who runs the place. If you are really really bad, the greeks believed you went to a special place in the land of hades, called Tartarus. Peter used the term "tartarosas," which means "sent to Tartarus" or sent to hell.

The Hebrew word, Sheol is sometimes translated Hell. Othertimes it is translated the grave. King David's son was in Sheol, when David went to visit him. Sheol is translated hell or grave depending on the translator's theology.

Tim

 

[Timothew]

Here's a picture of Hell

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

According to the concordance at biblos.com, "hell" appears 53 times in english bibles:

Here's a link Bible Concordance: Hell

I want to post more on this when I have time, "hell" is not in the greek or hebrew (since it is an english word).

Is that the same as the word "gehenna" mentioned by Jesus in the Gospels

Edit to add: I view Ezekiel 39 as fulfilled on those corrupt muderous Judean rulers

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1067&t=KJV

Strong's Number G1067 matches the Greek γέεννα (geenna), which occurs 12 times in 12 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV

Matthew 23:2 saying "upon the Seat of Moses are seated the Scribes and the Pharisees
Matt 23:33 "Serpents! produce of vipers! how? ye may be fleeing from the judging of the geennhV <1067>

Ezekiel 39:12 And house of Israel bury them so that to purify/cleanse the Land seven months.
And all of people of the Land bury them.

http://www.christianforums.com/t7464995/
Why no mention of "gehenna" in Paul's Epistles?


Oooops.....I just now saw this post"

So to answer the question, "What is Hell like?" I have to ask, "What do you mean by Hell?"

Do you mean gehenna? 12 instances of gehenna are translated "Hell."
Gehenna is the valley outside Jerusalem.

10 instances of Hades are translated hell. Hades is the greek idea of the place the spirits of the dead go, also the guy who runs the place. If you are really really bad, the greeks believed you went to a special place in the land of hades, called Tartarus. Peter used the term "tartarosas," which means "sent to Tartarus" or sent to hell.

The Hebrew word, Sheol is sometimes translated Hell. Othertimes it is translated the grave. King David's son was in Sheol, when David went to visit him. Sheol is translated hell or grave depending on the translator's theology.

Tim

 

[Timothew]

And so, long story short, hell is like death.

A lot like death.

Exactly like death.

 

[Brandlynn]

My husband and I read the story of the rich man and lazerus(SP?). Me being a huge tea drinker, I couldn't ever imagine a day without it. But the text of the scripture leads us to believe that the rich man was very thirsty.

By the way, thanks for the awesome responses. You all are great.

 

[solarwave]

Well I can say what I don't think hell is: I don't think it is physical pain.

Maybe separation, a life without love or hope. What ever it is I think it may be escapable by the power of love and unending grace of God.

 

[Girl Named Tennessee]

If there is a Hell, I do not believe it is a place where you are tortured or eaten alive by demons. I believe that it's simply the absence of God. I think it might be here on earth, in another realm, where all you do is wander, not able to have contact with anyone you love or with God. That, to me, would be a great torture.

 

[Timothew]

If there is a Hell, I do not believe it is a place where you are tortured or eaten alive by demons. I believe that it's simply the absence of God. I think it might be here on earth, in another realm, where all you do is wander, not able to have contact with anyone you love or with God. That, to me, would be a great torture.

Off topic, but...

I love that NeedToBreathe Song, Washed by the Water.