Is Hell a Literal Fire or Is It Separation from God?

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Dec 12, 2013
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#21
"He said to them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,"

"He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples."
Nice try.....not everything the Lord said was labeled or placed under the banner of a parable....the bible is clear as to when the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom were revealed in parable form.....and even a blind man reading braille can see this truth!
 

OneFaith

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2016
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#23
Hellfire is not physical, but just as torturous. Each soul there will feel torturous fire and long for even a drop of water. They will be covered in worms as well, and their worms will never die, neither will they escape in any way, even by dying, for the rest of eternity (never ending). And just as all life on earth depends on the sun, whether you like the sun or not, they will forever be shut out from the presence of God and from His holy light. Imagine taking away all Christians from the earth, all water that supports life, as well as the sun and moon. What will remain? A new earth of fire and brimstone, outer darkness where there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth from the pain that will never end.


 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
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#24
"He said to them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,"

"He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples."
Now you are just misapplying scripture in order to take away the literal meaning.

Your attempt to use the above as an example is not supporting your cause justshalllivebyfaith. Below is the actual scripture:

Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

This is why I speak to them in parables:

‘Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’

"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear."


Therefore, the "them" of whom Jesus is speaking parables to is in reference to that generation of Israel in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. The parables were not for the disciples or those in Christ, but for that generation for Israel. As for the disciples and all believers Jesus says "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
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#25
Hellfire is not physical, but just as torturous...
If the Lake of fire is a real, physical, tangible place, then why is hellfire "not physical"? Only God can speak authoritatively about Hell, and He is the one who has revealed that Hell Fire is as real as any fire on earth, but infinitely more intense.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
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#26
Nice try.....not everything the Lord said was labeled or placed under the banner of a parable....the bible is clear as to when the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom were revealed in parable form.....and even a blind man reading braille can see this truth!
Exactly. There seem to be a few who would like to make everything in the Bible a parable. Not sure what their motive is, but it is certainly not for rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
 
Dec 12, 2013
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#27
Exactly. There seem to be a few who would like to make everything in the Bible a parable. Not sure what their motive is, but it is certainly not for rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
To do such is to undermine and explain away many truths.........end of story!
 
Oct 11, 2017
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#28


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.

The above verses are quoted from the book of Revelation and are concerned with the time of judgment called "the hour of His judgment" . When God's judgments are upon the earth it will last for a fixed duration or a specific amount of time. And those judgments will end when God's wrath is fully poured out. Or, as called in Revelation, "the seven last plagues".
 
Oct 11, 2017
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#29
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.
The question we need to look at then is when do the faithful receive eternal life. That comes when Christ comes. When the mortal puts on immortality by resurrection from the dead.

And what is the destiny of the unfaithful? Their punishment is also eternal It's eternal death. Which means the person will be dead eternally.
 
Oct 11, 2017
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#31
The misguided say that life means being eternally happy with God and death means being eternally tormented and separated from God. Therefore when one is raised from the dead he is raised from being eternally tormented and separated from God.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
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#32
I have heard different Churches say different things on this issue. So what do you all think? And, if you can back it up with the Bibles, please post the versus that match.

Thanks.

Hell: is aplace prepared for the devil and his angels . Matt 25:41

Hell: was never ment for man John 3 :16

Hell: is a real place where the devil will go Rev 20:10
Hell : has fire, torment, and is eternal Rev 20:10, Matt 25:41
Hell : is aplace seperated from the Presences of God 2thess 1:8-9

Hell is real , hell is no joke . Those who teach it is not areal place of enternal torment as the word states it is with levels and types prior to being thrown into the lake of fire for ever and ever Rev 20: 10-14

Those who teach anything contary to this truth is a false teacher and will be held accountble . I.e the false Prophets are there too .
 
Oct 11, 2017
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#34
Exactly. There seem to be a few who would like to make everything in the Bible a parable. Not sure what their motive is, but it is certainly not for rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
Actually, the ones who demand the rich man and Lazarus parable to be not a parable are those who are desperately seeking evidence for their ideas. Honest Biblical scholars agree, the rich man and Lazarus is a parable.

"Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Parable of rich man and Lazarus)

Moses taught the resurrection of the dead, and if they hear not (believe not) Moses then they would not even believe if one rose from the dead.

I suggest you listen to Moses as he has taught the resurrection of the dead as opposed to the false ideas of the pagan philosophers.

 
Oct 11, 2017
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#35
That would be a superficial understanding of life and death, not Christian one.
Really?

nekros: dead
Original Word: νεκρός, ά, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: nekros
Phonetic Spelling: (nek-ros')
Short Definition: dead, a corpse

Look at that! Dead means DEAD

When one is raised from the dead he is no longer dead! Imagine that.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
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#36
When one is raised from the dead he is no longer dead! Imagine that.
Then imagine the second death and the eternal Lake of Fire. So death does not simply mean death.

Strong's Concordance
thanatos: death
Original Word: θάνατος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: thanatos
Phonetic Spelling: (than'-at-os)
Short Definition: death
Definition: death, physical or spiritual.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2288: θάνατος

θάνατος, θανάτου, (θανεῖν); the Sept. forמָוֶת and מוּת, also for דֶּבֶר pestilence (Winers Grammar, 29 note); (one of the nouns often anarthrous, cf. Winers Grammar, § 19, 1 under the word; (Buttmann, § 124, 8 c.); Grimm, commentary on Sap., p. 59); death


3. the miserable state of the wicked dead in hell is called — now simply θάνατος, Romans 1:32 (Wis. 1:12f Wis. 2:24; Tatian or. ad Graec. c. 13; the author of the epistle ad Diognet. c. 10, 7 [ET] distinguishes between δοκῶνἐνθάδεθάνατος, the death of the body, and ὄντωςθάνατος, ὅςφυλάσσεταιτοῖςκατακριθησομενοιςεἰςτόπῦρτόαἰώνιον); now δεύτεροςθάνατος and θάνατοςδεύτερος (as opposed to the former death, i. e. to that by which life on earth is ended), Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6, 14b; Revelation 21:8 (as in the Targums on Deuteronomy 33:6; Psalm 48:11 (); Isaiah 22:14; Isaiah 66:15; (for the Greek use of the phrase cf. Plutarch, de fade in orbe lunae 27, 6, p. 942 f.); θάνατοςαἰώνιος, the Epistle of Barnabas 20, 1 [ET] and in ecclesiastical writings ( ἀΐδιος θάνατος, Philo, post. Cain. § 11 at the end; see also Wetstein on Revelation 2:11).
 
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CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
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#37
Actually, the ones who demand the rich man and Lazarus parable to be not a parable are those who are desperately seeking evidence for their ideas. Honest Biblical scholars agree, the rich man and Lazarus is a parable.

"Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Parable of rich man and Lazarus)

Moses taught the resurrection of the dead, and if they hear not (believe not) Moses then they would not even believe if one rose from the dead.

I suggest you listen to Moses as he has taught the resurrection of the dead as opposed to the false ideas of the pagan philosophers.

Actually honest biblical scholars do also see it as more than a parable. However, Nothing that was presented is what Moses taught removes what Jesus said about hell and those who will go there. Nor does it change the context of REV 20:10-15 or Matt 25:41 or 2thess 1:8-9

the idea of Luke 16: 19-31 to be the sole text concerning the reality of Hell does not do that be the chapter alone . Without Rev 20:10-14 , Matt 25:41 , 2thess 1:8-9 and 20 verses combines in the Old and New Testament about Hell. with the normitive of scriptures hell is a real place. Luke 16 19-31 by it's self would be discriptive but with more Biblical veres to support Luke 16:19-31 a proper application and normitive can be seen.
 
Oct 11, 2017
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#38
Then imagine the second death and the eternal Lake of Fire. So death does not simply mean death.

Strong's Concordance
thanatos: death
Original Word: θάνατος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: thanatos
Phonetic Spelling: (than'-at-os)
Short Definition: death
Definition: death, physical or spiritual.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2288: θάνατος

θάνατος, θανάτου, (θανεῖν); the Sept. forמָוֶת and מוּת, also for דֶּבֶר pestilence (Winers Grammar, 29 note); (one of the nouns often anarthrous, cf. Winers Grammar, § 19, 1 under the word; (Buttmann, § 124, 8 c.); Grimm, commentary on Sap., p. 59); death


3. the miserable state of the wicked dead in hell is called — now simply θάνατος, Romans 1:32 (Wis. 1:12f Wis. 2:24; Tatian or. ad Graec. c. 13; the author of the epistle ad Diognet. c. 10, 7 [ET] distinguishes between δοκῶνἐνθάδεθάνατος, the death of the body, and ὄντωςθάνατος, ὅςφυλάσσεταιτοῖςκατακριθησομενοιςεἰςτόπῦρτόαἰώνιον); now δεύτεροςθάνατος and θάνατοςδεύτερος (as opposed to the former death, i. e. to that by which life on earth is ended), Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6, 14b; Revelation 21:8 (as in the Targums on Deuteronomy 33:6; Psalm 48:11 (); Isaiah 22:14; Isaiah 66:15; (for the Greek use of the phrase cf. Plutarch, de fade in orbe lunae 27, 6, p. 942 f.); θάνατοςαἰώνιος, the Epistle of Barnabas 20, 1 [ET] and in ecclesiastical writings ( ἀΐδιος θάνατος, Philo, post. Cain. § 11 at the end; see also Wetstein on Revelation 2:11).
There is no such thing as "spiritual death"!

Please show where Scripture teaches "spiritual death"?

Look again. Death means Death, just as DEAD means DEAD. Alive means Living (alive).
 
Oct 11, 2017
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#39
Actually honest biblical scholars do also see it as more than a parable. However, Nothing that was presented is what Moses taught removes what Jesus said about hell and those who will go there. Nor does it change the context of REV 20:10-15 or Matt 25:41 or 2thess 1:8-9

the idea of Luke 16: 19-31 to be the sole text concerning the reality of Hell does not do that be the chapter alone . Without Rev 20:10-14 , Matt 25:41 , 2thess 1:8-9 and 20 verses combines in the Old and New Testament about Hell. with the normitive of scriptures hell is a real place. Luke 16 19-31 by it's self would be discriptive but with more Biblical veres to support Luke 16:19-31 a proper application and normitive can be seen.
If you understand the parable then you could see that what it really teaches is what Moses and the prophets teach as opposed to the philosophies of the day.

Jesus (by the parable), was directing the misguided ones to Moses and the Scriptures so that they might believe what he taught.

"Now as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” (Mark 12)

In the above Moses teaches the resurrection of the dead. Because the dead are raised, God is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! If the dead be not raised then God could not be the God of Abraham, or anyone who has died. If Jesus is not raised, then your preaching is worthless.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
12,350
4,064
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#40
If you understand the parable then you could see that what it really teaches is what Moses and the prophets teach as opposed to the philosophies of the day.

Jesus (by the parable), was directing the misguided ones to Moses and the Scriptures so that they might believe what he taught. Jesus did not have to be unclear in this passage of luke the last words are very telling if you look at the conversation of the rich man :

27“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’29Abraham said to him, Is. 8:20; 34:16; (John 5:39, 45); Acts 15:21; 17:11; (2 Tim. 3:15)‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31But he said to him, (John 5:46)‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, John 12:10, 11neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”




"Now as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” (Mark 12)

In the above Moses teaches the resurrection of the dead. Because the dead are raised, God is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! If the dead be not raised then God could not be the God of Abraham, or anyone who has died. If Jesus is not raised, then your preaching is worthless.

you are talking about the Parable of Luke 16 :19-31 rember it is Jesus Talking not Moses. it is Jesus teaching this. nothing in this Jesus is speaking about deal with your opinon.