Is it Wrong to Think About Hell All the Time?

[TimothyW]

And some do not believe in hell.

Right, some believe that the body and soul are destroyed in hell. Some believe that the wages of sin is death.
Most other people believe that the body and soul are not destroyed in hell and the wages of sin is eternal conscious torment in hell.

I believe what the Bible says.

 

[jasonc]

How are Biblical visions fundamentally different from having visions now?

they if they are recorded, are mostly the same. compare these visions:
daniels visions of a man that looks like Johns vision of jesus in revelation 1
the visions of the Lord on the throne by Ezekiel and John. almost identical.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

...a profound sense of separation from the Creator.

This was the conviction that I was receiving during the time that God was calling me to himself. I knew little to nothing about the Bible at the time but the danger that was being impressed upon me was that to not accept the call to God was to be forever separated from Him when I died. It was a lonely, scary thought. I chose to get saved and avoid that. Years later I found that to be entirely Biblical.

 

[KevinK]

This was the conviction that I was receiving during the time that God was calling me to himself. I knew little to nothing about the Bible at the time but the danger that was being impressed upon me was that to not accept the call to God was to be forever separated from Him when I died. It was a lonely, scary thought. I chose to get saved and avoid that. Years later I found that to be entirely Biblical.

Thank God that He successfully reached out to you. That separation is horrific. Worse than clinical depression, worse than a bad drug trip, worse than an amputation. And knowing that it is forever, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Some people don't realize how much something is a part of you until you lose it. With God's love, it can be too late.

 

[Kathi]

This was the conviction that I was receiving during the time that God was calling me to himself. I knew little to nothing about the Bible at the time but the danger that was being impressed upon me was that to not accept the call to God was to be forever separated from Him when I died. It was a lonely, scary thought. I chose to get saved and avoid that. Years later I found that to be entirely Biblical.

God was trying to get your attention.

 

[stovebolts]

However you want to parse "hell". Its a bad state of being.... And yes, there is a hell right here on earth.

But not our will, but His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
We've been given our marching orders... Let's go be the light and make a difference in this world.

Btw, I work with recovering addicts. We can make a difference.

 

[tinykitten]

I happened to be listening to a sermon last night on Sirius radio. I didn't catch who the pastor was but it seemed to be an old sermon recording. In any event he was saying that come the judgment, the end of the world, those in Sheol will be judged before the great white throne of God. And if they are of account shall enter Heaven. If not they shall be sent to Hell.
I admit that was new to me. I've never heard that teaching before. Has anyone else?

 

[Kathi]

I happened to be listening to a sermon last night on Sirius radio. I didn't catch who the pastor was but it seemed to be an old sermon recording. In any event he was saying that come the judgment, the end of the world, those in Sheol will be judged before the great white throne of God. And if they are of account shall enter Heaven. If not they shall be sent to Hell.
I admit that was new to me. I've never heard that teaching before. Has anyone else?

The believers will not be in "The Great White Throne judgment" only the unbelievers.The believers will have a judgment of their own called "The Bema Seat or the Judgment Seat of Christ".

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I happened to be listening to a sermon last night on Sirius radio. I didn't catch who the pastor was but it seemed to be an old sermon recording. In any event he was saying that come the judgment, the end of the world, those in Sheol will be judged before the great white throne of God. And if they are of account shall enter Heaven. If not they shall be sent to Hell.
I admit that was new to me. I've never heard that teaching before. Has anyone else?

Yes, it is in Revelation 20:11-15 NASB.

"13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:13-15 NASB)

This happens after the 1000 year reign of Christ, but before the new earth and the new heavens.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The believers will not be in "The Great White Throne judgment" only the unbelievers.The believers will have a judgment of their own called "The Bema Seat or the Judgment Seat of Christ".

I'm not convinced that believers will not be at the Great White Throne Judgement, as if that judgment is only for condemning lost people and not rewarding the saved. I'll tell you why.

Several years ago, right after 9-11, I got real interested in end-times stuff and started reading about that in the Bible. What I noticed was that the 1000 year reign seems to be reserved for "the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus" (Revelation 20:4 NIV), not everyone in all of history who is saved. It says these are the ones who are resurrected in this first resurrection (Revelation 20:5 NIV). It isn't until after this 1000 year reign with Christ of the martyrs that "the rest of the dead" come to life--the sea, death, and Hades giving up their dead (Revelation 20:13 NIV). It is then that the books are opened at the Great White Throne Judgment and "each person (is) judged according to what he had done" (Revelation 20:13 NIV).

Without going into detail, the issue seems to be with when the rapture occurs and believers are united with their resurrection bodies and who the army is that returns with Jesus at his second coming just before the 1000 year reign (Revelation 19:14 NIV). In my studies I had noticed that the Bible suggests the army is composed of angels, not returning believers as is popularly taught. If I remember correctly, only one verse suggests they are believers.

 

[Kathi]

That is not how I see it in Scripture.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

That is not how I see it in Scripture.

Is that not how you see it in scripture, or not how you've been taught it?

As I say, the issue seems to be the status of all the non-martyred believers from all of history during the 1000 year reign. We know they meet Jesus in the air at his second coming in Revelation 19, prior to the 1000 year reign, and receive their glorified bodies at that time. But the 1000 year reign following his return seems to be reserved for martyred believers. So where are all these other believers? End times teachings include them in the 1000 year reign, but the passage doesn't come right out and say that.

And you probably noticed that being judged for what you did, good and bad, at the Great White Throne Judgment is the same language used to describe what the Church calls the Bema Judgment, but which they say is a different Judgment than the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

[Kathi]

Is that not how you see it in scripture, or not how you've been taught it?

As I say, the issue seems to be the status of all the non-martyred believers from all of history during the 1000 year reign. We know they meet Jesus in the air at his second coming in Revelation 19, prior to the 1000 year reign, and receive their glorified bodies at that time. But the 1000 year reign following his return seems to be reserved for martyred believers. So where are all these other believers? End times teachings include them in the 1000 year reign, but the passage doesn't come right out and say that.

And you probably noticed that being judged for what you did, good or bad, at the Great White Throne Judgment is the same language used to describe what the Church calls the Bema Judgment, but which they say is a different Judgment than the Great White Throne Judgment.

That is just not what Scripture shows me.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Kathi, look here. Believers and unbelievers being judged together 'according to their deeds':

31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right,'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer,'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46 NASB)

Sounds a lot like the Great White Throne Judgment. Yet we are taught that the righteous and the unrighteous will be judged separately--and for different reasons.

 

[Kathi]

Yes,the believers will be jud

Kathi, look here. Believers and unbelievers being judged together 'according to their deeds':

31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right,'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer,'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46 NASB)

Sounds a lot like the Great White Throne Judgment. Yet we are taught that the righteous and the unrighteous will be judged separately--and for different reasons.

My timing is different than yours.If you would like me to tell you my explanation of this I will.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Yes,the believers will be jud

My timing is different than yours.If you would like me to tell you my explanation of this I will.

Okay. What is your timing?

 

[Doulos Iesou]

To Hell. I had an OOB.

In Scripture, Gehenna... "hell" is supposed to be a place where the final judgment go. It is a common mistake to view hell as some kind of current place that you go to immediately after death.

 

[Doulos Iesou]

That's your belief, Kathi. I don't agree that Hell is currently empty. You're going to post quotes from the Bible to support your view, but I won't change my belief. I know what I saw.

The problem is, we can ask several people who claim to have these experiences and we will get several different responses and descriptions.

Hence, I don't put much stock in these kinds of things. I would rather trust in what the Bible says, which is generally contrary to people's descriptions.

 

[TimothyW]

The problem is, we can ask several people who claim to have these experiences and we will get several different responses and descriptions.

Hence, I don't put much stock in these kinds of things. I would rather trust in what the Bible says, which is generally contrary to people's descriptions.

I agree with you. BUT. We can also ask several people who claim to have read the Bible, "what does it say?" and we will get several different responses and descriptions.

I still believe just what the Bible says. Whenever someone tells me "The Bible says so and so", I look for myself. And I usually find that the Bible doesn't say what the person says that it says. This always happens when someone tells me that the Bible says that God sends people to hell to be eternally tormented forever. Two people have told me Jesus said that the lost are tormented in hell forever.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

In Scripture, Gehenna... "hell" is supposed to be a place where the final judgment go. It is a common mistake to view hell as some kind of current place that you go to immediately after death.

What is this place where angels await their judgment?

"4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;" (2 Peter 2:4 NASB)

I'm wondering if 'hell' is Gehenna in this verse.