What is hell, and where are the dead now?
Every soul (both good and evil) goes immediately back to the Father (God) that gave them: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." [Eccl 12:7].
For judgment day does not occur till after the thousand year period (millennium) in [Rev 20:4+5]. God is totally fair, and plays no favorites. It would be unfair to send someone to hell without judging them first. Though some are hell bound, it is not yet time for their punishment, many of the lost will be found during that thousand year period.
I won't include it here, but read the story of Lazarus and the rich man [Lk 16:19-31] and you will see that after they died, the rich man was across a gulf, separated from the side that Lazarus was on with Abraham. But they were both in Heaven. Heaven is simply wherever God is.
In the end, all will be judged at the same time [Rev 20:12-15] and for the righteous, Judgment Day is a day of rewards, but for those who did not overcome, Judgment Day is a day to be blotted out from existence, as though they had never existed, we who overcome will retain no memory of them. You will notice that they will be cast into the lake of fire and then "there was no more sea." [Rev 21:1]. The lake of fire and all within it cease to exist.
Rev 20:10-15
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
CHAPTER 21
Rev 21:1
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (KJV)
Contrary to popular misconception; there is no eternal torture chamber called hell where Almighty God enjoys the eternal pain and suffering of His disobedient children. He loves us all, but some will forfeit the right to live eternally with God. This is the 'torment for ever and ever' spoken of, for they will never ever be again, and the torment is them knowing prior to execution of judgment that they will forever be separated from God and denied eternal life in Heaven. For at the time of Judgment day, we will all be in spiritual bodies and we will be able to see the beauty and majesty of the throne of God. We will all have full knowledge of God's plan and the three earth ages, it is then that many will realize what they had thrown away for 60 or so years of living deliciously on earth in the flesh.
What we commonly refer to as hell, is really the blotting out of our soul forever. So complete will this blotting out be that even all memory of the existence of those so judged will cease to exist - as though they had never existed - for in reality, they will have never have been. Think about the thousand year millennium and then that protracted march into the Lake of Fire, they will know that they are going into oblivion.
Now on this earth, with all the pain and suffering that some experience, being blotted out may not seem so terrible. But remember, at the time of judgment and the march into the fire, they will be in spiritual bodies having full knowledge that they are dying the second death - the death of a soul.
What they wouldn't do for a second chance, but there isn't any more chances for them - this is the saddest of sorrows. So sorrowful will it be that our small flesh brains cannot even begin to comprehend the horror of it. This, my friend, will be the truest hell there is.
Satan knows that is to be his fate, that is his torment. One of satan's many names is "the son of perdition," He is the only soul named at this time who has been judged to eternal death, and the word "perdition" means just that: To perish, cease to exist, become blotted out. It does not mean to be kept alive forever by God so that torture may be preformed upon him eternally. Our God is a loving Father, not a Nazi war criminal. Below is satan's fall and judgment. Satan was once one of God's favorites, but then he thought that he should be God and he led a revolt and overthrow attempt against God in the first earth age. One third of the souls at that time joined satan in that revolt, and God gave us this second earth age (in the flesh) to make our choice for ever. In verse 18 below you see a description of the blotting out. It is a total consumption by fire from within, it is final, and for satan it is set and shall be carried out at the appointed time. We still have time to make the right choice. God is not playing games here!
Ezek 28:11-19 (king of Tyrus is one of satan's many many names)
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 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.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. (KJV)
It would seem that the clergy either don't understand that themselves, or that they have twisted the scriptures in an effort to control the people - God knows. Maybe they felt that if the people knew that to be judged to eternal death means to cease to exist that they would have no fear to do evil, perhaps they are right about people living for today and not caring about eternity, but what they fail to comprehend is that at the time of judgment, we will all possess total knowledge, knowledge even of the first earth age when we all were with God before satan's overthrow, and a clear sight into the eternity of peace, love , and happiness with God as our Father, whom we can see, touch, and speak to forever and ever.
Rev 21:1-7 (This is what we commonly refer to as Heaven)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (KJV)
Continuing further on:
Rev 22:1-7
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (KJV
