I was asked the other day in a conversation at work if Hell really existed. I replied that I wish I didn't have to believe in Hell.While seeing the need for eternal justice, the thought of cruel and unusual punishment that lasts forever sounds morally wrong to me. Yet, the Bible describes God as a great King who creates a lake of everlasting fire for rebels who want no part of His kingdom.As a child, I thought of Hell as being like the agony of falling into a real fire. More than 30 years later, I'm trying to believe no more and no less than what the Bible requires us to believe.I've thought a lot about the story Jesus told of a callous rich man who died and found himself in Hades. Even before the final judgement, the man was suffering in flame and torment (Luke 16:19-31). Whether Jesus was speaking in a parable or not, I've found some solace in the fact that the man in the fire was able to carry on a conversation. He was not suffering in the way I imagined as a child.Admittedly, Jesus didn't tell the story to comfort us. He went on to describe how the man in the flame asked for a messenger to be sent back to the land of the living. He wanted his 5 brothers to be warned about this place of torment. But he was told, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead" (Luke 16:31).The end of Jesus' story raises a question. What did Moses and the prophets say that amounted to fair warning?NEXT: Hell in the Old Testament
You need to be a member of CCAS - Christian Comic Arts Society to add comments!
Have you ever met with people refuse the love of God? You can feel that they kind of hate God from their guts. I don't see what's so bad bout loving God, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I'm from Malaysia, it's more complicated here in my country, we have Buddish, Hindu, Taoist, Muslim, & Christian. We have 3 major races here, Malay, Chinese, & Indian.
Most of us believe there's a hell, but the problem is most of them believe in wrong God. That made us very difficult to preach the Gospel. :)
Abraham was justified by faith. Those who die in the faith go to BE WITH JESUS. "Today you will BE WITH ME in Paradise." Abraham was with Jesus. Abraham can be seen from Hell.
Conclusion:
Residents of Paradise can be seen from Hell.
"So he called to him, 'Father Abraham...' ... But Abraham replied..."
Conclusion:
A conversation can be held between someone in Hell and someone in Paradise.
Hell is a place of torment where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Heb. harak, meaning "to grate the teeth", (Job 16:9; Ps. 112:10; Lam. 2:16), denotes rage or sorrow. (See also Acts 7:54; Mark 9:18.)
GNASH [ISBE]
GNASH - nash (charaq; brugmos): "Gnash" is used of grinding or striking together the teeth in rage, pain or misery of disappointment. In the Old Testament it is the translation of charak, a mimetic word, and represents for the most part rage, anger, hatred (Job 16:9, "He gnasheth upon me with his teeth," the Revised Version (British and American) "hath gnashed upon me"; Ps 35:16; 37:12; 112:10, grief; Lam 2:16, contempt or derision); brucho, "to gnash the teeth in rage," indicates anger, rage, Septuagint for charaq (Acts 7:54, of Stephen, "They gnashed on him with their teeth"). The several instances of brugmos, "gnashing," in the Gospels seem to express disappointment rather than anger (Mt 8:12,"There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth," the Revised Version (British and American) "the weeping and the gnashing of teeth"; Mt 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28--a vivid representation of the misery of disappointed expectations; compare Ecclesiasticus 30:10, "lest thou shalt gnash thy teeth in the end," gomphiazo, "to have the teeth set on edge"); trizo (Mk 9:18), which means "to give out a creaking, grating sound," "to screak," is used in the New Testament (in the above instance only) to mean "to grate or gnash with the teeth," indicating the effect of a paroxysm, the Revised Version (British and American) "grindeth his teeth."
Hey Buzz...
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and put an input. Yes, I also believe too that it is also a separation from God, but I believe it goes a little deeper than that. I am doing a 5 part explore on this subject so keep reading and hopefully you will come to see what the Bible says hell is, not what we think hell is. God bless you brother and have a great Super Bowl Sunday.
Replies
Most of us believe there's a hell, but the problem is most of them believe in wrong God. That made us very difficult to preach the Gospel. :)
"he looked up and saw Abraham far away"
Abraham was justified by faith. Those who die in the faith go to BE WITH JESUS. "Today you will BE WITH ME in Paradise." Abraham was with Jesus. Abraham can be seen from Hell.
Conclusion:
Residents of Paradise can be seen from Hell.
"So he called to him, 'Father Abraham...' ... But Abraham replied..."
Conclusion:
A conversation can be held between someone in Hell and someone in Paradise.
Hell is a place of torment where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Have you ever seen someone gnash his teeth?
Man, that has got to be SOME torment!
++++++++++++
http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=gnash
Gnash
Gnash [EBD]
Heb. harak, meaning "to grate the teeth", (Job 16:9; Ps. 112:10; Lam. 2:16), denotes rage or sorrow. (See also Acts 7:54; Mark 9:18.)
GNASH [ISBE]
GNASH - nash (charaq; brugmos): "Gnash" is used of grinding or striking together the teeth in rage, pain or misery of disappointment. In the Old Testament it is the translation of charak, a mimetic word, and represents for the most part rage, anger, hatred (Job 16:9, "He gnasheth upon me with his teeth," the Revised Version (British and American) "hath gnashed upon me"; Ps 35:16; 37:12; 112:10, grief; Lam 2:16, contempt or derision); brucho, "to gnash the teeth in rage," indicates anger, rage, Septuagint for charaq (Acts 7:54, of Stephen, "They gnashed on him with their teeth"). The several instances of brugmos, "gnashing," in the Gospels seem to express disappointment rather than anger (Mt 8:12,"There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth," the Revised Version (British and American) "the weeping and the gnashing of teeth"; Mt 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28--a vivid representation of the misery of disappointed expectations; compare Ecclesiasticus 30:10, "lest thou shalt gnash thy teeth in the end," gomphiazo, "to have the teeth set on edge"); trizo (Mk 9:18), which means "to give out a creaking, grating sound," "to screak," is used in the New Testament (in the above instance only) to mean "to grate or gnash with the teeth," indicating the effect of a paroxysm, the Revised Version (British and American) "grindeth his teeth."
W. L. Walker
++++++++++++
.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and put an input. Yes, I also believe too that it is also a separation from God, but I believe it goes a little deeper than that. I am doing a 5 part explore on this subject so keep reading and hopefully you will come to see what the Bible says hell is, not what we think hell is. God bless you brother and have a great Super Bowl Sunday.