The Characteristics of Hell

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

I'm confused on this matter. People have told me that, although hell is eternal, the "frie" part of it is symbolic. Symbolic of what I dunno. I'm going to post some common views of the subject, and I hope you will point me into the right direction.

1) Hell is Eternal. Yet there aren't demons with pitchforks stabbing you as society has concieved.

2) Hell is just the grave. The unsaved will be eternally, in the grave.

3) Hell is just a place where all the unbelievers go to be "wicked". The concept where many unbelievers joke and say "Well, atleast I won't be alone there."

4) Hell is both Eternal and Fiery.

5) Hell is both Eternal and lonely.

6) Hell is Eternal and full of torment due to the fact that the unbelievers are aware their mistakes and will have full recountable memory of Earth. They will be all alone with "gnashing of teeth." Described as which because the unbeliever goes out of his mind because he lost his chance of salvation. The only suffering in Hell is caused by the unbeliever himself. There is no outside interference, no fire, no flame, just unquenchable loneliness.

If you could, add other populcar views. After which tell me which one is the REAL charcteristics of hell.

Hope I get some of my questions answered. Thanks in advance.

 

[ZiSunka]

Hell is not eternal. It is temporal, like heaven. Eventually, those in hell will be burned in the Lake of Fire (Revelation).

Hell is not the grave. The grave is the resting place of the bodies while we wait for the resurrection (John 5:28-29). At the resurrection, all people will be judged for their deeds, whether good or bad, and separated according to whether or not their names are in the Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation)

Hell is not a party. Hell is complete isolation from God and from other people. There is no comapnionship at all in hell. (I can't find the reference right now).

Hell is firey. (Mark 9:48)

 

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

So is the Lake of Fire Eternal and fiery? Or does God just throw the unbelievrs in the Lake of Fire and they are burned up into nothingness, taken away from existence?

 

[ZiSunka]

I think the Bible says the lake of fire is eternal.

Hold on, I'll go look.

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10

 

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

I did a search on e-Sword and here's all the scriptures I got concerning the Lake of Fire.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and the false prophet that was with him, who wrought the signs before him by which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and those that worship his image. Alive were both cast into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone;

Rev 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.

Rev 20:14 and death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.

Rev 20:15 And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:8 But to the fearful and unbelieving, and sinners , and those who make themselves abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

So basically everyone who was unsaved is going their. I noticed it said that Hades was cast into the Lake of Fire. So Hell, itslef along with all it's inhabitants will go into the Lake.

Now do only the unholy trinity suffer while the rest are taken away from all existence? Or does everyone in the Lake suffer for ever equally? Or are there different levels of punishment in the Lake.

Hmm, I think most of these questions are unanswerable. Scripture talks little about specific characteristics of hell or heaven. Jus that one is really bad and hte other is really good.

 

[ZiSunka]

Yep. Pretty scary, huh? Especially for those of us who have unsaved loved ones.

I think the Bible doesn't talk much about the specifics of heaven or hell because God wants us to focus on the here and now, on our own hearts and the hearts of others, and on following Him.

Also, if we knew a lot about heaven, we'd be worthless on earth, because we'd constantly be thinking and longing for it, and if we knew much about hell, our thoughts would be consumed with fear and anxiety.

 

[Dave Ulchers]

V. HELL

1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."[610] Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.[611] To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."

1034 Jesus often speaks of "Gehenna" of "the unquenchable fire" reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.[612] Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"[613] and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!"[614]

1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."[615] The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."[616] Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where "men will weep and gnash their teeth."[617]

1037 God predestines no one to go to hell;[618] for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance":[619] Father, accept this offering from your whole family. Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.[620]

 

[Brian L]

The Scriptures are fairly specific about who ends up there. First and foremost, it was prepared for the devil and his angels. God did not INITIALLY prepare the Lake of Fire for mankind, that was not His personal will for mankind. OF course in his permissive will, he knew everything from eternity past but that's besides the point.

Matt 25: 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angel


Now that your through scaring yourselves, it's time to think about John 16 v 6. This is a promise it is not a conditional statement. God veryclearly has his finger on the situation in spite of man's bellicous confession about going to hell. He hasn't a clue what he is talking about, otherwise he would be fighting you for your Bible as we speak.

If you have ever been confrontred with your own mortality in a very personal and real way, you can appreciate the Lord's promise given in John 16 in a very unique way. If not, you won't get it. But I have. Actually I was a little disappointed at the time that I survived (just a tinge). But it became very apparent to me that man chooses to spend most of his life deceived by the world, the flesh and the devil. The Creator has the right to the created. (underline that one and understand this very clearly) apart from the world , the flesh and the devil. This is the promise of John 16. SO that when he is confronted IN THIS CONTEXT with spiritual conviction, frankly I believe very few fail to respond to the gospel. ALl they have to say is "God help". What have they done? Who are they speaking with IN THIS CONTEXT. THey have simply believed the Jesus Christ can save them! Is that not the gospel. AND PLEASE, don't pass that garbage about inviting Christ into your heart and al the other trivia the Cosmos uses to confuse the gospel .

In the Lord
Brian L.

 

[2002 Christian]

Your views must harmonize with these:

Body Goes to Hades/Sheol (Grave/Hell) at Death
[Hades and Sheol are the Greek and Hebrew words for "grave" and "hell."]

"But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn" (Job 14:22). [If this text says that there is consciousness after death, as some claim, then the fleshly body must be conscious as well since it is feeling pain. If the "soul" that is mourning is in sheol ("the grave," vs. 13), then the "flesh" that is in "pain" must be there as well.]

"For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living" (Job 30:23).

"If I wait, the grave [sheol] is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness" (Job 17:13).

"Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave [sheol] those which have sinned. The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him" (Job 24:19, 20). [Since it is the body that decays, it must be the body that is in the grave (sheol) here.]

"Like sheep they are laid in the grave [sheol]; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave [sheol] from their dwelling" (Ps. 49:14).

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave [sheol], whither thou goest" (Eccl. 9:10). [If the spirit or soul was conscious after death, it could not be in the grave (sheol, hades), because whatever is there has no knowledge at all. The body must be referred to here.]

"And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell [sheol] with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living" (Ezek. 32:27). [I can’t imagine people thinking that spirits or souls take their swords to hell with them. This must be a picture of people being buried in the grave with their armor.]

"And in hell [hades] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:23). [If spirits or souls have tongues, eyes, bosoms, and fingers, why would they need bodies too? If spirits or souls don’t have such parts, then this parable pictures their bodies in hell/hades.]

 

[Blessed-one]

i once heard a Rev said, Hell's a place without love.
Now THAT is something to fear.

 

[Gerry]

Hell is REAL and it is ETERNAL and it is beyond our ability to imagine. And if born again Christian could go therefor one second, we would all evangelize at the speed of light! The thought of anyone spending eternity in a place like that should make us shudder in horror! We need to get serious abour saving people from such a plight!