Apart from that complete separation from God, hell is also a place of being completely alone (as taken from Lazarus’ account). Those who go there don’t get to hang out with all the others experiencing infinite eternal misery…they do it alone. How much worse is that? CS Lewis also described it as “no-one but yourself forever and ever”.

It’s interesting that some surveys (likely not statistically relevant) show that people are more afraid of being completely alone than they are of going to hell. If only they knew what hell really was…

great post Tyler. Thanks again for insightful writing.

I agree that the burning will pale in comparison to the lack of God’s presence. His silence will be deafening.

Even though I’m more in the annihilationism (Conditional Immortality) camp, I’ve often wondered if the tortures of Hell wouldn’t be the *absence* of God, but his manifest presence to those who don’t want to be with him. Terror at the reality of God, regret that you were wrong to reject him, these could combine to be a powerful punishment.

when I think of what hell is void of, then I realize how horrible it is; no smiles, no water, no breezes, or laughter-all that has Gods presence in. I had no idea how lame that would be.

Two things: First, the streets of gold are metaphorical. They’re streets that last forever. Second, I am convinced that the majority view on hell is majorly wrong. Piper, Edwards and I will all have a good laugh one day in Heaven about it. With grandma, Ghandi and even Perez Hilton.

I think more than being held over the heads of unbelievers is the anguish that hell causes Christians over their unbelieving family members. While I believe there is such a place, I’ve got to wonder about all of the images we’ve extrapolated from the Bible of it. I think it’s much like heaven – we don’t know what it is.

the inferno by dante depicts hell as this dark, lonely place where fear exists. the opening scenes of the character’s description explain a place of deep emptiness, not fire. i kept picturing a dark alley when i started reading. hell is theologically all over the place, for the very fact that we don’t truly know. but the devil isn’t even in hell yet, he walks around the earth trying to take people’s souls for himself. so are there really any souls in hell yet? are those not saved too waiting on the earth? are all ghosts demons? ….there are so many questions about heaven and hell that frankly we’re not going to know until the very end.

but thinking about hell a lot is probably not life-giving. keep your focus upward. this life, even as we live, is empty w/o Him.

I think Hell is just an eternal fiery furnace where people will experience pain for eternity. I think lately there has been alot of “softening” how we describe hell to ensure we don’t offend anyone or come across “legalistic.” It is supposed to scare people and to be avoided at all cost. Sometimes I wonder if God isn’t pleased with the image of Hell that I have been communicating to students…one that is much more neutered than the one we find in Scripture.

I figure if God would be offended with such “softening,” the Apostles might’ve mentioned it in a sermon or two in Acts. But they didn’t. Not once.

I recommend “The Origin and History of the Doctrine of Endless Punishment,” by Thomas Thayer. He shows, fairly convincingly, that the “fire” view isn’t really supportable. (http://www.tentmaker.org/books/OriginandHistory.html)

I thought this post would get some more attention! Stinkin holidays are blog killers.

I kinda think that’s what the whole book of Revelations is all about to some extent Seth. Not that God is “offended” by our “softening” of hell, but it isn’t a topic we should just avoid because we might offend others. The gospel is offensive. Jesus was offensive.

I know we’re talking about hell specifically here, but Revelations reveals God in all of his glory and righteousness, and I think it’s a side of Him we don’t communicate enough, maybe in large part because it’s tougher to communicate that His love, grace & mercy. But He is holy and because of that holiness all prophesy revealed in Revelations is the result.

Great post Tyler and a great reminder. I admit I don’t know the first thing about hell any more than I know the first thing about heaven. I believe it’s a literal place, with literal flames, but I agree, the worst part about hell is being separated from God for eternity, nothing else about it can even compare.

I agree we shouldn’t shy away from the topic for the sake of not offending people, but I think our emphasis should be on “Jesus is Lord” rather than “turn or burn.”

BTW, annihilationists often believe in a literal Hell with literal flames, but just disagree on how long someone is punished there.

Tyler: I am with you. We can try to put it into words and wrap our heads around it like Christ did when he was here.

It was something that really struck me when I was reading The Cross of Christ by Stott. Stott contends that Christ’s agony and grief wasn’t that he was worrying about the torture or even death on the cross. I would contend that there have been many many saints who have suffered worse deaths (Bartholomew, anyone?) and yet counted all as joy.

Christ was not in agony over physical pain but the spiritual pain of being forsaken by His Father and His Spirit. We cannot imagine what that is like because the earth is filled with His glory and we are never far from his presence. Yet, Christ was forsaken by the Father so that His Bride would never have to be.

It’s not that Christ went to Hell but he experienced what Hell really is: to be completely forgotten by God.

To even imagine that makes me what to throw up.