Is Hell a Literal Fire or Is It Separation from God?
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Hell is the inner torment, such as we feel when we get nervous, with only one difference: here our torment is restrained by the grace of Jesus; there is a torment that raise more and more with rest (such as illustrated below):
- "Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee." (Ezek 28.18).
KJV Dictionary Definition: hell HELL, n.
Each # defines the words meaning based on context in which the word is used
1. The place or state of punishment for the wicked after death. Matt.10. Luke 12. Sin is hell begun, as religion is heaven anticipated.
2. The place of the dead, or of souls after death; the lower regions, or the grave; called in Hebrew, sheol, and by the Greeks, hades. Ps. 16. Jon.2.
3. The pains of hell, temporal death, or agonies that dying persons feel, or which bring to the brink of the grave. Ps.18.
4. The gates of hell, the power and policy of Satan and his instruments. Matt.16.
5. The infernal powers. While Saul and hell cross'd his strong fate in vain.
6. The place at a running play to which are carried those who are caught.
7. A place into which a tailor throws his shreds.
8. A dungeon or prison.
Here again with Vine's context is key to how the word hell is defined
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words: Hell
(Strong's #1067 — Noun Feminine — geenna — gheh'-en-nah )
represents the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom (the valley of Tophet) and a corresponding Aramaic word; it is found twelve times in the NT, eleven of which are in the Synoptists, in every instance as uttered by the Lord Himself. He who says to his brother, Thou fool (see under FOOL), will be in danger of "the hell of fire," Matthew 5:22 ; it is better to pluck out (a metaphorical description of irrevocable law) an eye that causes its possessor to stumble, than that his "whole body be cast into hell," Matthew 5:29 ; similarly with the hand, Matthew 5:30 ;
in Matthew 18:8,9 , the admonitions are repeated, with an additional mention of the foot; here, too, the warning concerns the person himself (for which obviously the "body" stands in chapt. 5); in ver. 8, "the eternal fire" is mentioned as the doom, the character of the region standing for the region itself, the two being combined in the phrase "the hell of fire," ver. 9.
To the passage in Matthew 18 , that in Mark 9:43-47 , is parallel; here to the word "hell" are applied the extended descriptions "the unquenchable fire" and "where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."
That God, "after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell," is assigned as a reason why He should be feared with the fear that keeps from evil doing,
Luke 12:5 ; the parallel passage to this in Matthew 10:28 declares, not the casting in, but the doom which follows, namely, the destruction (not the loss of being, but of well-being) of "both soul and body."
In Matthew 23 the Lord denounces the scribes and Pharisees, who in proselytizing a person "make him two-fold more a son of hell" than themselves ( Matthew 23:15 ), the phrase here being expressive of moral characteristics, and declares the impossibility of their escaping "the judgment of hell," Matthew 23:33 .
In James 3:6 "hell" is described as the source of the evil done by misuse of the tongue; here the word stands for the powers of darkness, whose characteristics and destiny are those of "hell."
For terms descriptive of "hell," see e.g., Matthew 13:42 ; 25:46 ; Philippians 3:19 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:9 ; Hebrews 10:39 ; 2 Peter 2:17 ; Jude 1:13 ; Revelation 2:11 ; 19:20 ; 20:6,10,14 ; 21:8 .
Notes: (1) For the rendering "hell" as a translation of hades, corresponding to Sheol, wrongly rendered "the grave" and "hell," see HADES.
(2) The verb tartaroo, translated "cast down to hell" in 2 Peter 2:4 , signifies to consign to Tartarus, which is neither Sheol nor hades nor hell, but the place where those angels whose special sin is referred to in that passage are confined "to be reserved unto judgment;" the region is described as "pits of darkness," RV.
Finally from my Sword of choice: KJB Thompson Chain Reference: Hell
• Gehenna (Greek, The place of Punishment)
• Matthew 5:22
•Matthew 5:29
•Matthew 10:28
•Matthew 18:9
•Matthew 23:15
•Matthew 23:33
•Mark 9:43
•Luke 12:5
•James 3:6
• Hades (Greek, The Abode of the Dead)
• Matthew 11:23
•Matthew 16:18
•Luke 16:23
•Acts 2:27
•Revelation 1:18
•Revelation 6:8
•Revelation 20:13
• Sheol (Hebrew, The Grave or Unseen State)
• Deuteronomy 32:22
•2 Samuel 22:6
•Job 11:8
•Job 26:6
•Psalm 9:17
•Psalm 16:10
•Psalm 18:5
•Psalm 55:15
•Psalm 86:13
•Psalm 116:3
•Psalm 139:8
•Proverbs 5:5
•Proverbs 7:27
•Proverbs 9:18
•Proverbs 15:11
•Proverbs 15:24
•Proverbs 23:14
•Proverbs 27:20
•Isaiah 5:14
•Isaiah 14:9
•Isaiah 14:15
•Isaiah 28:15
•Isaiah 28:18
•Isaiah 57:9
•Ezekiel 31:16
•Ezekiel 32:21
•Ezekiel 32:27
•Amos 9:2
•Jnh 2:2
• Habakkuk 2:5
• Tartarus
• (Greek, The Place of Punishment)
• 2 Peter 2:4
• SEE Fate of the Wicked
•SEE Torment
•SEE Retribution
Each # defines the words meaning based on context in which the word is used
1. The place or state of punishment for the wicked after death. Matt.10. Luke 12. Sin is hell begun, as religion is heaven anticipated.
2. The place of the dead, or of souls after death; the lower regions, or the grave; called in Hebrew, sheol, and by the Greeks, hades. Ps. 16. Jon.2.
3. The pains of hell, temporal death, or agonies that dying persons feel, or which bring to the brink of the grave. Ps.18.
4. The gates of hell, the power and policy of Satan and his instruments. Matt.16.
5. The infernal powers. While Saul and hell cross'd his strong fate in vain.
6. The place at a running play to which are carried those who are caught.
7. A place into which a tailor throws his shreds.
8. A dungeon or prison.
Here again with Vine's context is key to how the word hell is defined
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words: Hell
(Strong's #1067 — Noun Feminine — geenna — gheh'-en-nah )
represents the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom (the valley of Tophet) and a corresponding Aramaic word; it is found twelve times in the NT, eleven of which are in the Synoptists, in every instance as uttered by the Lord Himself. He who says to his brother, Thou fool (see under FOOL), will be in danger of "the hell of fire," Matthew 5:22 ; it is better to pluck out (a metaphorical description of irrevocable law) an eye that causes its possessor to stumble, than that his "whole body be cast into hell," Matthew 5:29 ; similarly with the hand, Matthew 5:30 ;
in Matthew 18:8,9 , the admonitions are repeated, with an additional mention of the foot; here, too, the warning concerns the person himself (for which obviously the "body" stands in chapt. 5); in ver. 8, "the eternal fire" is mentioned as the doom, the character of the region standing for the region itself, the two being combined in the phrase "the hell of fire," ver. 9.
To the passage in Matthew 18 , that in Mark 9:43-47 , is parallel; here to the word "hell" are applied the extended descriptions "the unquenchable fire" and "where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."
That God, "after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell," is assigned as a reason why He should be feared with the fear that keeps from evil doing,
Luke 12:5 ; the parallel passage to this in Matthew 10:28 declares, not the casting in, but the doom which follows, namely, the destruction (not the loss of being, but of well-being) of "both soul and body."
In Matthew 23 the Lord denounces the scribes and Pharisees, who in proselytizing a person "make him two-fold more a son of hell" than themselves ( Matthew 23:15 ), the phrase here being expressive of moral characteristics, and declares the impossibility of their escaping "the judgment of hell," Matthew 23:33 .
In James 3:6 "hell" is described as the source of the evil done by misuse of the tongue; here the word stands for the powers of darkness, whose characteristics and destiny are those of "hell."
For terms descriptive of "hell," see e.g., Matthew 13:42 ; 25:46 ; Philippians 3:19 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:9 ; Hebrews 10:39 ; 2 Peter 2:17 ; Jude 1:13 ; Revelation 2:11 ; 19:20 ; 20:6,10,14 ; 21:8 .
Notes: (1) For the rendering "hell" as a translation of hades, corresponding to Sheol, wrongly rendered "the grave" and "hell," see HADES.
(2) The verb tartaroo, translated "cast down to hell" in 2 Peter 2:4 , signifies to consign to Tartarus, which is neither Sheol nor hades nor hell, but the place where those angels whose special sin is referred to in that passage are confined "to be reserved unto judgment;" the region is described as "pits of darkness," RV.
Finally from my Sword of choice: KJB Thompson Chain Reference: Hell
• Gehenna (Greek, The place of Punishment)
• Matthew 5:22
•Matthew 5:29
•Matthew 10:28
•Matthew 18:9
•Matthew 23:15
•Matthew 23:33
•Mark 9:43
•Luke 12:5
•James 3:6
• Hades (Greek, The Abode of the Dead)
• Matthew 11:23
•Matthew 16:18
•Luke 16:23
•Acts 2:27
•Revelation 1:18
•Revelation 6:8
•Revelation 20:13
• Sheol (Hebrew, The Grave or Unseen State)
• Deuteronomy 32:22
•2 Samuel 22:6
•Job 11:8
•Job 26:6
•Psalm 9:17
•Psalm 16:10
•Psalm 18:5
•Psalm 55:15
•Psalm 86:13
•Psalm 116:3
•Psalm 139:8
•Proverbs 5:5
•Proverbs 7:27
•Proverbs 9:18
•Proverbs 15:11
•Proverbs 15:24
•Proverbs 23:14
•Proverbs 27:20
•Isaiah 5:14
•Isaiah 14:9
•Isaiah 14:15
•Isaiah 28:15
•Isaiah 28:18
•Isaiah 57:9
•Ezekiel 31:16
•Ezekiel 32:21
•Ezekiel 32:27
•Amos 9:2
•Jnh 2:2
• Habakkuk 2:5
• Tartarus
• (Greek, The Place of Punishment)
• 2 Peter 2:4
• SEE Fate of the Wicked
•SEE Torment
•SEE Retribution
It's described in many ways. Literal fire? Don't know. The outer darkness seems to be a waiting place until being cast into the lake of fire...But a literal fire? I don't know...it has to be described by things we can understand, like fire and darkness. But those are literal things to describe a ....spiritual state? Now I'm just rambling. 
It's important first to know the language of Scripture. For example, a person who is DEAD in trespasses and sins is a person who has no covering for their sin. They are the living dead. They are considered dead because they are under the death sentence passed to all man in Adam. A person who has a covering for their sin is therefore said to have passed from death to life.
The person who dies having a covering(or forgiveness) for their sin is said to sleep in Christ. That person is never separated from God because of the resurrection from the dead which is a guarantee to be returned to life.
The person who dies having no forgiveness of sins returns to the dust he was made from and is never heard from again because he is not in covenant with God for resurrection from the dead.
The person who dies having a covering(or forgiveness) for their sin is said to sleep in Christ. That person is never separated from God because of the resurrection from the dead which is a guarantee to be returned to life.
The person who dies having no forgiveness of sins returns to the dust he was made from and is never heard from again because he is not in covenant with God for resurrection from the dead.
Immersion is a good example of having passed from death to life. In fact, Paul expresses it just that way in Romans 6. The sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, comes to the waters of immersion confessing his sins and is immersed in the water which is the DEATH of the old man who is in Adam and the emergence of the new man in Christ. His sins have therefore been remitted and he is to walk in newness of life no longer being condemned in Adam. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1)
In order to escape the condemnation of sin and death in Adam one must be in Christ Jesus by believing the gospel and being immersed into Christ. He who believes not has been condemned already. Condemned in Adam.
In order to escape the condemnation of sin and death in Adam one must be in Christ Jesus by believing the gospel and being immersed into Christ. He who believes not has been condemned already. Condemned in Adam.
The rich man in hell lift up his eyes being in torments and he said I am torment in these flames and begged for one drop of water to cool his tongue....
No one will ever convince me that it was a parable.
Revelation...
The SMOKE of their torment ASCENDING for ever before the throne. <--where there is SMOKE there is ________!
There are numerous other verses as well and statements about not being able to quench the fires of hell such as...
The man in Luke 16:24 cries: ". . .I am tormented in this FLAME."
In Matthew 13:42, Jesus says: "And shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting FIRE,. . ."
Revelation 20:15 says, " And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE."
No one will ever convince me that it was a parable.
Revelation...
The SMOKE of their torment ASCENDING for ever before the throne. <--where there is SMOKE there is ________!
There are numerous other verses as well and statements about not being able to quench the fires of hell such as...
The man in Luke 16:24 cries: ". . .I am tormented in this FLAME."
In Matthew 13:42, Jesus says: "And shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting FIRE,. . ."
Revelation 20:15 says, " And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE."
Hello LaurieB,
"So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’ " - Luke 16:24 (From the rich man and Lazarus).
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." - Matt.25:41
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." - Rev.20:10
"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." - Rev.20:14
These are just a couple of scriptures that refer to literal torment in flame/fire, one being in Hades which is temporary which is where all of the spirits of the unrighteous dead currently reside. And the others are referring to Geenna/Gehenna, which is referring to the lake of fire, also called the second death, which is the final place of punishment in flame.
It is only through the symbolizing/spiritualizing of scripture, that people can interpret the scriptures as being non-liter eternal punishment in fire. We have other words in the context such as "the smoke of their torment will rise up" with "no rest day or night" in said fire. The other words in the context support the torment as being in literal fire.
The context is too strong and direct for it to be speaking figuratively. Also, someone said that the reference to punishment in fire is referring to separation from God. Yet, Satan is and has been separated from God for quite some time, yet the scripture states that he and his angels will be thrown into the lake of fire. If the reference to eternal fire was just separation and Satan and his angels are already separated, then what difference would the lake of fire be for them?
This symbolizing of scripture that is meant to be taken literally, is one of the biggest problems today. For to apply symbolism where none is needed, distorts the meaning that God means to convey.
Yes, eternal torment is separation from God and that separation will also be in a place of torment in flame that God created for Satan and his angels, as well as any human being whose name is not found written in the book of life.
"So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’ " - Luke 16:24 (From the rich man and Lazarus).
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." - Matt.25:41
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." - Rev.20:10
"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." - Rev.20:14
These are just a couple of scriptures that refer to literal torment in flame/fire, one being in Hades which is temporary which is where all of the spirits of the unrighteous dead currently reside. And the others are referring to Geenna/Gehenna, which is referring to the lake of fire, also called the second death, which is the final place of punishment in flame.
It is only through the symbolizing/spiritualizing of scripture, that people can interpret the scriptures as being non-liter eternal punishment in fire. We have other words in the context such as "the smoke of their torment will rise up" with "no rest day or night" in said fire. The other words in the context support the torment as being in literal fire.
The context is too strong and direct for it to be speaking figuratively. Also, someone said that the reference to punishment in fire is referring to separation from God. Yet, Satan is and has been separated from God for quite some time, yet the scripture states that he and his angels will be thrown into the lake of fire. If the reference to eternal fire was just separation and Satan and his angels are already separated, then what difference would the lake of fire be for them?
This symbolizing of scripture that is meant to be taken literally, is one of the biggest problems today. For to apply symbolism where none is needed, distorts the meaning that God means to convey.
Yes, eternal torment is separation from God and that separation will also be in a place of torment in flame that God created for Satan and his angels, as well as any human being whose name is not found written in the book of life.
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You are comparing the fire of material, earthly things, to God's eternal punishment in flame. Eternal/everlasting, is what is said and what it means, with the smoke of their torment ascending up forever and ever with no rest day or night.
We already see that the rich man of Lazarus fame was/is in torment in flame in Sheol/Hades which will continue right up until the end of the thousand years. At that time, those who will have been in torment in flame, will be resurrected out and will be officially judged at the great white throne judgment, where anyone's name not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
There will always be something to burn and that because they will also receive resurrected bodies fit for punishment, not able to be destroyed, but will endure the torment in flame.
We already see that the rich man of Lazarus fame was/is in torment in flame in Sheol/Hades which will continue right up until the end of the thousand years. At that time, those who will have been in torment in flame, will be resurrected out and will be officially judged at the great white throne judgment, where anyone's name not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
There will always be something to burn and that because they will also receive resurrected bodies fit for punishment, not able to be destroyed, but will endure the torment in flame.
The on-gong problem is that people interpret death as annihilation or non-existence, which in error. Life and death are both states of conscious existence defined by one's state of being in relation to God. Life being conscious, eternal existence in the presence of God. And death being conscious, eternal existence in separation from God. Regarding this, consider the following:
"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The same word "Aionios" which is derived from is base "Aion" which can mean a cycle of time, an age or being without end, which is dependent on the context.
That said, we have the scripture stating that the righteous will go into eternal life, which we know is eternal (on-going), conscious existence in the kingdom of God. Therefore, the reference to the unrighteous going away into eternal punishment, must also carry the same meaning of eternal (on-going), conscious existence for the unrighteous, for the same word is used for both. You can't have "aionios" meaning unending for one and annihilation for the other.
To be clear, whatever is applied to one, must be applied to the other.
"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The same word "Aionios" which is derived from is base "Aion" which can mean a cycle of time, an age or being without end, which is dependent on the context.
That said, we have the scripture stating that the righteous will go into eternal life, which we know is eternal (on-going), conscious existence in the kingdom of God. Therefore, the reference to the unrighteous going away into eternal punishment, must also carry the same meaning of eternal (on-going), conscious existence for the unrighteous, for the same word is used for both. You can't have "aionios" meaning unending for one and annihilation for the other.
To be clear, whatever is applied to one, must be applied to the other.
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