Can a God of love send anybody to the kind of hell imagined in Dante’s Inferno?
Answer:
Most people think of hell as a place of eternal torment for the souls of wicked people. Could a compassionate God really torture people forever? We do not believe this is what the Bible teaches.
What does happen to the wicked? The Bible says they die. In one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The apostle Paul also makes a clear contrast between death and "the gift of God...eternal life" (Romans 6:23). Ezekiel 18:4 says, "the soul who sins shall die."
The serpent in the Garden of Eden first spread the lie that man would not die—that man had an immortal soul (Genesis 3:4). But the Bible shows that "the dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5) and "sleep in the dust of the earth" (Daniel 12:2) to awake in the resurrection.
So what is hell? The Bible uses four words that have been translated hell. Sheol (Hebrew) and hades (Greek) both refer to the grave where righteous people like Job, David, Hezekiah and even Christ knew they would go at death (Job 14:13; Psalm 88:3; Isaiah 38:10; Acts 2:27, 31).
Tartaroo (Greek) is only used once in the Bible, about where fallen angels are restrained (2 Peter 2:4).
Gehenna was a word based on a vile garbage dump outside Jerusalem where trash and the bodies of criminals were burned up. Christ used the word to refer to what Revelation 20:10, 14-15 calls "the lake of fire," which brings "the second death"—permanent, eternal death.
God does not want anyone to end up in the lake of fire and will make sure everyone has a full chance for repentance (2 Peter 3:9). We pray that few will make the choice to reject that wonderful future God has to offer.
I have always been taught that if I did not follow the Ten Commandments to the fullest that I am damned to hell.
We need to focus on some aspects of the divine nature of God! He is the Lord of all things and does not need to create something and then destroy it or put it in constant pain! We need make our choices with care not to fall into bad consequences! Studying the Bible and knowing the ways of the Lord, then we have a divine guide to the path of righteousness and good choices! It is not always easy in our material weakness, but we must learn to refuse many things offered by the world. Living spiritually in this world is the big issue and as a consequence we all have a daily battle with what we have learned spiritually, for our sake and those around us, and what the external environment is offering us! Often the dishes are offered with the poison that will diminish our strength to keep on on the correct way! This can not happen suddenly, but slowly, and if we are not supported by the hands of our Creator and realize it, then we can fall! Every decision must be brought to Him, with faith, with sincerity and often we have to say NO to the world so we can be in the ways of our Lord!
I was taught the same thing!
But when I began to actually read the Bible, I found that what I had been taught wasn't quite the whole story. There is hell & there is hell. The Bible teaches that there are at least 3 different things referred to as hell in the New Testament. The booklet portrayed on the right gives a thorough explanation but I want to give you a quick answer that is also true: everyone who has ever lived (& died)has gone to hell.
This hell is simply the grave.
If this short answer is too short, write me & we'll talk more.
Good morning, Skip!
What the references in the Bible, which are cited to our spiritual condition after death? I've talked a lot about this subject, but there are preconceived ideas about it, it is very difficult at times to explain that the picture of hell that we have is rather simplistic and does not match the intelligence of our Divine Creator! Our body goes into the grave, but the Spirit, goes where? Surely the Spirit is not with the body after death, or am I wrong? I sometimes think that hell or suffering after death is the long distance between the Spirit of the unrepentant sinner and our Creator! Thank you, very much, for your help! That the Lord continue shining in his footsteps!
Good morning Nelson:
Solomon answered some of your question in Ecclesiastes 3:20-21. All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. When we die we are buried in the earth (hades in the Greek of the New Testament) and return to dust.
But you asked where does the spirit go? First, there is a spirit in man that God gave to humans to form the human mind. It gives us intelligence and awareness of our existence and the power to reason. It is not the immortal soul taught by many which comes from Greek philosophy. This spirit simply turns on the brain so it becomes a mind. And that spirit is what Solomon addresses in Ecclesiastes 3:21. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? Solomon understood that the spirit of humans goes back to God at death, where God preserves our memory. But it is not a living or conscious spirit. We might liken it to a recording of what our character was, what our memories were, and what our personality was.
At the resurrection God will use this recording to recreate us.
Hello Nelson,
First of all let me complement you for asking the right question!
It matters very little what you & I think. The important thing is what does God think. And we have God's Word to show us what (& how) God thinks.
Jesus Christ our Savior was also God and so I will go to the new testament and quote Jesus' own words at John 5:28. Jesus says, "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves (all dead people) will hear His voice."
Then he says all those who hear will either go to a resurrection of life or a resurrection of condemnation. But many people think that when a person dies they immediately go to heaven or hell. It would be strange, wouldn't it if people were in heaven (or hell!) and then were yanked back to earth when Jesus returns for the resurrection! It makes much more Biblical sense that people stay dead until the resurrection.
But what about the spirit? You accept that the body goes to the grave but where does the spirit part of the person go when the person dies?
The best answer I can find directly from God's Word begins in Job. Job 32: 8 says there is "a spirit in man." Then Ecclesiastes 12 : 7 says that "the dust(the human body) will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it."
God gives a human spirit to each human being and when they die, He receives that spirit back again until that human is resurrected.
This says nothing about judgment or punishment or reward but it does explain what happens to anyone who dies. What happens after this is another issue. Let me know if you want to talk about that.
Good afternoon Ken,
Sorry for the delay to answer, but I had to reflect upon its teachings on the subject! This is important to know because as I understood there is a close connection between mind and spirit. The mind works like a recorder, capturing the circumstances around us, recording our reactions, feelings, thoughts and storing everything in the spirit. Am I right in my understanding? So like many other human beings I've accumulated a lot of information and choices, some good and certainly many bad choices in my mind. I lived for 56 years, taking decisions on the flesh, justifying on the materiality the decisions what I made and I thought were normal and natural. Four years ago I was in pain of soul and I went dragged to the teachings that are coming to me. Now everything is different! So I ask: why only now I'm taking deeper knowledge of the will and purpose of our Creator? Is this fair? If this knowledge had arrived before I could not have taken decisions that pleases God more? (I can not say that the choices made before ever hurt my spirit, because deep down, deep down, we know to be choosing wrong). I hope I can still to record in my spirit some choices toward GOD´s will! Thank you for the teachings and I read Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:20:21!!!
Good afternoon Skip,
I agree with you, what matters is the truth of God, as he thinks and not what we are thinking about because we are limited in our intelligence and sometimes tend to reduce things of God to our own limited capacity of understanding. But the search for the truth of God must continue and that's what we're talking! I accept that the body dies, it is corruptible, but the spirit is eternal by nature and Criation of God! We recorded in our spirit through our mind all the circumstances of our lives, choices, feelings, reactions, attitudes, everything good or bad and that all this will be receveid by our CREATOR! You mentioned the resurrection of the body when Jesus returns! will We have the same body or another way? We will be here on earth, is it right? It has not a better place to live? (I know that the earth is a good place and that we humans are destroying everything). Now I also know that Jesus quoted Ecclesiastes Solomon in 3:20:21. I want also to learn about rewards and punishment, knowing that God always welcomes us with open arms when we are truly repentant sinners and following on HIS ways!
Thank you!
Hello again Nelson,
There is so much to learn!
But I agree that the search for the truth of God must continue. Is the spirit "eternal by nature and creation of God"? I would say no based on something that Jesus said: Matt 10: 28.
Here we go again, back to hell!
But this time the word hell is gehenna, not hades.
Hades means "the grave" but gehenna was a dump outside of Jerusalem used to burn up really bad stuff. It burned until there was no more stuff to burn. God will consume whatever is not worth saving, sometime in the future. And some people will refuse to live life God's Way. They will be put out of their misery forever.
Again, I pretty much agree with you that the spirit, through the mind is a recording device. It will be what God uses to reassemble us at the resurrection, right here on earth. Thankfully that resurrected body (& mind) will have none of the flaws or imperfections that most of us are hampered by right now: no failing eyes, no heart disease, no cancer -- but the body that most will receive will be physical.
And I am really pleased to read that you want to learn about rewards and punishment. Look at 3 John 2. John knew Jesus intimately and he was just repeating what Jesus had said to all His followers during the three & 1/2 years He had lived with them. I also like Jer 30: 17. So many in our sick world do not enjoy God's blessings right now. But they will have the opportunity to when they realize "the way, the truth, and the life" is God's Way! (John 14: 6) We all must come to Jesus through the Father.
Skip
Good morning Ken
Some branches of the christianity maden distinction between soul and spirit! Is it true? If is it, then, what about?
Thank you, very much
Hello Nelson:
Yes, there are distinctions between soul and spirit. Perhaps the best way to understand part of this is in the UCG publication at:
http://www.ucg.org/bible-faq/what-spirit-man
Rather than entering into a whole theological discussion here, the above faq clearly describes the spirit in man. The rest of the concepts surrounding "soul and spirit" become clear, or at least easier to understand, once one understands what the Bible says about the Spirit in man.
Best Regards,
Ken
Hi Nelson:
It is never too late to begin doing the right thing and making right decisions. Why did God wait for so long to begin showing you the Truth? God is not dealing with every single human being yet, or all at once. He will deal with every person, in His own time, not in ours. Simply put, today is not the only day of salvation. Consider yourself blessed if God has begun to open your mind to His understanding now. It is God the Father who decides WHEN He will call out and begin to work with human beings. We don't make that decision. God does. He will ultimately deal with every hunan, but not all at once in this age.
I hope this helps a little.
UCG has a publication you may find helpful in this regard:
http://www.ucg.org/booklet/church-jesus-built/responsibility-and-mission-church/today-only-day-salvation
Best regards,
Ken
Good morning Skip,
So John says in 10:28: "Fear not them which kill the body but can not kill the soul. Fear rather him who can destroy both soul and body in the geena." OK! A note on death caused by humans and that can destroy the flesh, but not the soul. Do not follow the path of God may result in the destruction of the body and much worse, the destruction of the soul. This destruction then means the removal of the presence of God which in itself is suffering, but is it the eternal suffering?
This quote John 3:17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through of HIM, it means an opportunity for salvation depending only on the choice of every human being.
In Jeremiah 30:17, Jesus is refered as the remedy through whom the wounds of humanity will be healed?
Thanks for being quoted John, because I believe that John records faithfully all the facts and circumstances of that time. Between us, Skip, if Jesus came not to condemn, the only Son, consubstantial with the Father, who are we to judge or condemn, although it is necessary to keep in our mind what is right and what is wrong before GOD! I'm waiting your teachings about punishment and reward and thanks for all!
That God continue blessing you!
Sorry Skip,
Read Mathews 10:28 instead John 10:28
My best regards
Even though the Church is to proclaim a message to the world that includes a call for repentance, Scripture tells us that relatively few people will truly repent before Christ returns. Thus, bringing the world to repentance is not the Church's role for this age. (from The Responsibility and Mission of the Church)
Good afternoon Ken,
The question I asked whether it was fair or not (with respect to time of understanding) has been completely answered by you with support in that paragraph of the article above! I agree that the Church has not responsibility for the salvation of mankind, but to take the word of God to all as is possible! Indeed, salvation starts from within the human being. (On this I feel the hand of God). I see it, because I've been following This is the way for about three years and even then I did not understand the meaning of my desire to know the Lord's purposes toward mankind, and so I thought that starting on the various issues about the death of the body and what happens to the spirit after death, I could be more at peace, in understanding with relation at the meaning of life! At least until the moment I'm not afraid to die, this is not my concern, but I felt compelled to find some answers and I have been very very helped for you! I have asked you many times about some interpretations about various subjects looking for a logical response about hard questions! Hard questions It is because there should be no logical answer to these questions. What I need have is faith, first of all, belief on the things of our LORD, ALMIGHT, and that many times and I say this respectfully, these attempts to find the answers cause a great confusion in my mind and I think to be walking in circles! I always thought that to believe it was necessary first of all, understand ... serious mistake! In this case, it is necessary first of all to BELIEVE and after the UNDERSTANDING! To find the answers and understanding with the heart it will come with your help! Our God in his omniscience knows us more than we know ourselves and what is our time! Probably what I know and understand today did not have any value in the past, but today, it has effect!
God bless you all!
Hello Nelson,
I used Wikipedia & the free Merriam-Webster on line dictionary to reinforce what I thought I knew: consubstantial is a technical term used, primarily, by trinitarians. I am not a trinitarian. I believe that there is a Father & a Son & that they are both members of the God family. (They are both God.) There is no Holy Ghost (or Spirit) person (or being.) The Holy Spirit is the power & (some might say) the glory of God.
Yes, Jesus came to save the world! (And He did it! Some just have not yet come to understand that.) But about punishments & rewards.
I like to go to Deut 28 as my primary source for blessings (rewards) and cursings (punishments). I find the Bible to be one book, don't you? Old & new testament go together so well!!
Now, (it is not MY teaching but the Eternal's)
go ahead, read abit of it & we can talk some more.
Sincerely
Nelson,
I read what you said to Ken Graham.
(I hope I wasn't overstepping my welcome.)
And, I am so happy to see that things are making more sense.
Congratulations!
Skip
Good morning, Skip!
You are not in any way beyond its limits host. We need to understand that there are differences of language and culture among nations and the only language where there is no difference is the Book of God, on which we can examine and understand the deep meaning of his words, whatever our origin! And I have a lot to learn yet!
I also agree fully at respect of the power of God and of his strength working in us, the eternal creative power of God! There is a quote in the Bible (perhaps from Jesus? On "do not grieve the Spirit Divine?"
I was watching the sermon of Peter Eddington, of June 21, 2008, and something about fervently believe, and that there is a difference between belief and faith is making me think so much about my relationship with God. Just today, the message "This is the way", I also read about formed opinion no fundamentals (stubbornness). So it is necessary to believe fervently and even catch up to support this belief in facts, looking over the Bible, where the living word of our God is our legacy of knowledge for eternal life and... the search !
Going DEUT 28, all goodness and protection of our Lord and in the verses 1 to 14 heavy words and predictions in verses 15 to 46.
I have read the Bible daily (The Jerusalem´s Bible), but now with your help and Ken Graham, I am directing the readings for important questions! I'm waiting for the new guidance.
God bless you!
*** Yesterday here in Brazil was a national holiday and I do not have internet in my country house!
Hi Nelson,
Its nice to see your discussion with Skip and Ken. I am glad that they have addressed most of your questions.
You might also be interested in reading some of the Church's material in Portuguese, if you visit our Portuguese website, namely:
www.revistaboanova.org
O livro acerca do Céu e do Inferno também pode ser lido no nosso site:
http://www.revistaboanova.org/literature/
Have a great Sabbath and may the Eternal lead you in the Truth.
Hello Nelson!
23 June is Corpus Christi day in Brazil!
I used to think about Corpus Christi when I was a Roman Catholic.
But that was many years ago. (And most people in the USA wouldn't even think about it.) I noticed that you have a Jerusalem Bible; so do I. It belonged to my mother & father. I use it whenever I want to go to the Apocrypha.
I also noticed that Ken Graham suggested to you a booklet that UCG publishes called The Church Jesus Built. But what you may not know is that we have several booklets in Portuguese and would be happy to send them to you.
Not having internet in your country house may be a blessing in disguise! What would you like to discuss next?
Skip
Good morning Jorge!
Today is another great day of IAWEH, because we are all trying to get in the way sometimes difficult but always full of HIS presence! Jorge, I have received the Good News in Portuguese too! Interestingly, when we are talking about our Lord, there is no differences of language, race, or nation! You are also welcome to this current discussion and to contribute about Heaven and Hell or any other matter relating to the teachings of the Lord!
Thank you so much for the input! Have you also a great Saturday with our LORD!!!
Nelson Nanni Filho
Hi Nelson:
I did send you a reply to this note some time ago, but I see it hasn't been replied to. Somehow it must have been lost in transit. We've now talked about this one since in several other chats. But I can include a couple of articles we publish that explain the distinctions between soul and spirit. One is UCG's booklet on "What Happens After Death?" advertised on this page to our right. There is an article entitled, "What Is Man?" at
http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-lesson/bible-study-course-lesson-3-why-di...
There is also an article on The Spirit In Man at
http://www.ucg.org/booklet/what-your-destiny/question-ages/spirit-man/
And we have a booklet that covers some of this entitled: "What Is Your Destiny?" as well.
Best Regards,
Ken
Good Morning Skip!
I prefer to communicate in English because it is a more direct language, all right? I will carefully read the booklet indicated by Ken Graham and to return to him!
I was born into a Roman Catholic family, but do not agree with myths without explanation, then ... I would like to discuss about the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God! This force we feel within us when in conflict and pray to God to strengthen us and we can overcome the difficulties of the way!
GOD bless all you!
Good afternoon Ken!
Forgive me for delay, please!
According the lesson 3 I'm understanding that man's soul is not immortal, this is life, the divine breath of God! Is this the difference among soul and spirit? The spirit returns to God, because it belongs to Him, but the soul dies when the body dies? Is this correct? The spirit belongs to God and is eternal, like God, do not die! The resurrection of the dead is when the spirit of the repented is returned to the body to a new life? This will not necessarily happen in the matter as we know it today, because Jesus said he was going ahead to prepare a place for the repented, is this correct?
I´m going to the new booklet and returning soon!!!
GOD bless you
Good Morning Nelson!
You seem to me to want to be more than you presently are, with regard to a very personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (I do remember my early Catholic training. It never ever used the Bible as the basis for what it taught me.) You have graciously asked for a little guidance.
Let me begin at Luke 14 verses 26 & 27. I have never read these verses without saying to myself, "Christ wants to be the very most important thing in my life!" This is hard for any human to understand in our selfish "me first" world. But now I understand this is what Jesus Christ is asking of those who wish to follow him as disciples. Do you want to do this? If so, then we will have much more to talk about.
Sincerely, Skip
(If you have already received this, I apologize! I am learning too:)
Good afternoon Ken!
Human Spirit! This can be the difference to my understanding! Which was created in the image and likeness of God! Critical to our life after death because it is our connection with the Almighty through the Holy Spirit! Human spirit gives us intelligence to our brain, the Holy Spirit received by the straight man in repentance and baptism is our connection with the Spirit of God!
The impression was that the breath of life and the Spirit of God were the same thing, but it is not! Then, the Holy Spirit is already in us after repentance and baptism!
To add more emphasis to the subject John 14:2 to 4 and 16 to 17.
I would like your opinion and direction about my comments!
Thank you very much!!!
Good morning Skip!
You put an important question about our relationship with Jesus Christ! Yes, I want to strengthen this relationship. At one point in my life I asked myself what I was doing here on this world and why! Then a small miracle happened and a customer came into my small shop and invited me to go to a meeting at the Church of Christ here in Campinas (based in Oklahoma´s State), and I went there, the lessons were interrupted, but it created in me a great need to know more about the Way! I have asked about the Soul, Spirit, Life, Death, Life after Death and the response is coming towards the understanding of my questions! Thank you for talking about it!
Going to Luke 14:26 to 27 and upon your prayer, you're right, selfishness makes it difficult to feel and learn about the word of GOD! Jesus asks us not to be irresponsible, but to put HIM above all things. I also think that without the help of HIM, we can not bear our cross! On this subject, our proximity with HIM and knowledge, we can to understand that the cross is the daily and hard battle among spirit and the flesh to keep us on the way! What do you think about?
God bless you!
Hi Nelson:
If I understand you correctly, it seems you are on the right path.
The spirit in man is part of our life essence. It is what provides intellect and creates the mind, that animals do not have. It activates our understanding of who we are and provides the power of thought. Animals like the dolphin have larger brains, and more efficient brains than ours, but they don't truly "think" they react based on instinct because they are "hard wired" to react in a specific way to stimulus.
The spirit in man is also the key to our ability to connect to the spirit world, designed by God to provide us with "access" to Him.
We are physical so we don't understand the differences in the spirit. What we do know is that the Holy Spirit is different than the spirit in man, but does work with that spirit when God provides it. When God calls or begins working with a person, the Holy Spirit is the power that He uses to communicate and influence the spirit in man in us. The Holy Spirit is something of limitless power, whereas the spirit in man is very limited and has but one purpose - to activate the human mind and intellect. The Holy Spirit may work with a human being before repentance and baptism, but it does not dwell permanently in us until we are baptized and have hands laid upon us.
Beyond these things, we, being physical just don't know much more because the bible doesn't reveal much more than this.
Best Regards,
Ken
Good afternoon Ken!
These questions raised by me, were more in function of what we understand by looking over the scriptures, because it really was not given to us human beings to know fully what happens in the spiritual side. But your guidelines, based on the Bible, in large part are answering these questions!
I also believe, and this is a personal opinion and I may be wrong, that because God loves the man unconditionally He wants the love of man toward HIM should be unconditional too! If we know deeply what happens after death, the unconditional love it could lose its meaning because we could not be acting for free choice but acting only according at stimulus (rewards).
So, not knowing exactly what happens after death, this leads us to fulfill God's commandments, with all the difficulties of the flesh, putting our love at proof! This reasoning is somewhat correct?
God bless you, Ken!
Hi Nelson:
I cannot interpret what God has in mind or His reasons for doing things that are not revealed in the Bible. To say you are correct or incorrect would be presumptuous of me, that I somehow know the mind of God! Your opinions may well be correct, but the bible doesn't say why God does some of the things that He does, so we'll have to wait and see.
Best Regards,
Ken
Good morning Ken!
You´re right! Then, instead trying to understand the purposes of GOD we should to understand the will of GOD and walking on the right way!
Thank you so much!!!