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Is hell a physical place, or is it a euphemism for separation from God (thus having none of His holy love).  Thoughts?   ???   ???   ???

Luke 16:23 is a reference to consider. Both SHEOL and HADES are sometimes translated as GRAVE, but the final destiny of those who reject Christ is the Lake of Fire. It was prepared for satan and his cohorts but people choose it as their destiny.

Just consider, besides the worst possible state of all as being 100% separated from God for all eternity, that it will be spent in a sinful, decaying body still prone to all types of pains and sicknesses. The wicked dead do NOT receive glorified bodies upon resurrection and the best they can hope for is the condition of those bodies during the millennium. Not only so, I am sure satan has a wide variety of punishments that he will inflict upon his people. Look at what Sadaam Hussein did to his!

aw

Satan wont reign in hell nor will he be able to infict any punishment on anyone.  He will be a little busy getting his own.

just my 2 cents

The following story is reported to be a true event that was investigated by the 700 club. They reportedly get thousands of these type of stories all the time, however, they are rarely considered to be legitimate after being scrutinized. The 700 club asserts that they did a thorough investigation which included sending agents to Africa to investigate every detail, and have concluded the story to be 100% accurate and true...you decide if Hell is real or not after reading this story.

Daniel: Raised from the Dead


By Susan Mann and Ken Hulme
The 700 Club



Following an automobile accident, Daniel Ekechukwu was pronounced dead, placed in a mortuary for three days and embalmed. But his life on earth was not finished. Today he is alive and well, and he has a strong message for the world.



CBN.com – On November 30, 2001 Pastor Daniel Ekechukwu's brakes failed and his car slammed into a concrete pillar. He was rushed to a Nigerian hospital. His condition was serious.

For some reason, Daniel wanted doctors to transfer him to another hospital. The doctors warned that the trip would kill him. They were right. Daniel's wife remembers her husband's dying words.


"My husband called to me and told me that I should take care of the children and the ministry. He said he had built a house for me, and that I should not worry. I should take care of everybody. He said that there are some people who are called to go quick (to die early) and that he was among them," Ekechukwu said.

Daniel died on the way to the second hospital. He was rushed to a Nigerian clinic where Dr. Josse Annebunwa was working.

"I was told he was involved in a motor accident in Onitsha, Nigeria. When I examined him, I looked at the
chest and there were no respiratory movements. I listened with the stethoscope and there were no breath sounds. I searched the heart and cardiovascular system, but there were no sounds. The patient had no pulse. I looked at the eyes - the pupils were fixed and dilated. I came to the conclusion right away that the patient was dead and that he should be removed to the mortuary," Annebunwa said.

Mortician Barlington R. Mann remembers when Daniel's father and wife brought his body into the mortuary.

"There was no life in him, no heartbeat, and no signs of breathing," said mortician Barlington R. Mann. "I accepted him as a corpse. After checking these things, I checked all around the body and everything was stiff. That is what gave us the conviction to start our embalming procedure. I sent him into the second room and put him on the last slab."

For three days, Daniel's body lay there, in the open-air embalming room. During that time the body was prepared for burial-including embalming! While they waited for the funeral, Daniel's wife began to argue with her Maker.

"I began to call on the name of the Lord. I wanted to remind God of His promises," Daniel's wife said. "One verse that inspired me was Hebrew 11:35: 'Women received their dead bodies to life.' The moment I read this verse it strengthened me to hold God firm and act."

Three days after Daniel's death, his wife decided what she would do. She had heard about a meeting near by-where miracles were happening. It was a Reinhard Bonnke prayer service. She went to collect her husband's body.

"Before I could come they had the casket ready," she said. "The moment they put him in I ran inside the ambulance with my son and his brother, and we started coming down to this place. And I asked somebody if Bonnke had come."

Within a short time they arrived at the Reinhard Bonnke service, and asked if they could bring Daniel's body in for prayer.


"I felt that the anointing would be so strong there and that the anointing would resurrect my husband," Daniel's wife said.

"They came up to me and I told them that it would be an embarrassment to bring a corpse inside a church," said one of the workers at the Bonnke service. "We realized that whatever we do and wherever we are God is present. If God wants to perform a miracle for the man, the place where the man is does not really matter."


They carried Daniel's dead body into the basement where the service was being held. They laid his body across two tables, and several pastors began praying for him.

"As we were praying," said one of the pastors, "suddenly we saw the eyes started to move and life started coming in. I said to my friend, Pastor Luke, 'You know, they say that he was three days in the mortuary. Let us massage him.' So he was there, massaging the right hand. And I was massaging the left hand. We were squeezing it, making sure that life returned. We found out that as we were praying the heart started to become hot. He was breathing, and we started massaging the hands. As we massaged the hands suddenly it seemed that life came into the hands, and we put his hands on his chest. I massaged the neck and life came into it. I was able to turn it."

The pastors around him continued to massage his body because after three days in the mortuary, rigor mortis had set in. As they were doing this, suddenly Daniel jumped to his feet to the amazement of everyone who looked on! The pastors were unsure what to do next.

"I said let's take him upstairs, and we followed the stairway upstairs. At the end of the step he said, 'water, water.' He was asking for water. I shouted, 'Bring water, bring water, lets get him water!' People thronged and suddenly we saw people coming from the outside. It seemed that the news went out and people came in. People came in and they saw the dead man sitting down.

Daniel like Lazarus of old had been raised from the dead!

The story of his resurrection spread like wildfire. Everywhere he went people knew that God had performed a miracle. In the days and weeks that followed, Daniel began to share about something that happened to him as his body lay lifeless in the mortuary. He spoke about a journey with an angel who allowed him to visit both heaven and hell.

"He told me we are going to visit paradise," Daniel said. "So we visited a place. When we approached the place I saws multitudes of people that looked exactly like the one with me, that angel that was with me. The angel with me wore white apparel. The body was pure white. The apparel was pure white, but the apparel did not look removable from the body. When I saw this crowd they looked exactly like the one with me. In my heart I said, ' look at where the angels gather.'"

"After that he then said, 'Let us go and visit the mansion that Jesus promised.' He (the angel) now took me to a wonderful place. In fact, what I saw there, I do not have any words to describe it. It was so glorious. It was a very wonderful mansion. You could look at the building and it would look like glass or look like gold or whatever. Even the flowers there looked like gold.

"Then the angel said, 'Now let us visit hell.' In the twinkle of an eye, we found ourselves in the place. Immediately the gate opened. I started hearing lamentation. So I looked inside and I saw people like us here. They were putting on some clothes.

They had the same flesh; some are black and some are white. They just looked like us.
They were shouting - there was a lot of pain, a lot of torment. It was to the extent that immediately when the gate was opened, it was if they were seeing me.

They were asking me for help, shouting. And I remember one. He was shouting. 'I am a pastor, I only stole church money and I am ready to refund it immediately.' He just said he was ready to refund it and that I should help. There was a force that was tormenting them. I never saw any fire there and I never saw any flames in hell, but the torment there looks as if the people are inside fire.

It was then that the angel declared something to Daniel that caused his heart to melt with fear. He told Daniel that he deserved to be in hell too!

"So while I was shouting and asking the angel for help, that I have another chance to go back, he mentioned this: that the request of the rich man in hell had been granted to this generation. I did not understand it.


It was later, when I woke up and read the Bible, that I realized what the request was. The rich man (in Luke 16) was requesting, that a dead man should be sent back to the world. So he just said that the request of the rich man had been granted to this generation for the last warning. He said to me that he is giving me an opportunity to go back for the last warning to this generation," Daniel said.

Today, that is precisely what Daniel is doing -- warning everyone who will listen of the judgment to come -- and the promise of everlasting life to those who trust in the name of Jesus.

Bronzesnake

did you see this story reported on the 700 club yourself?
where did you get this copy from. :-\

   

Your 2 cents holds a wealth of biblical truth, my friend.   :)  Well said.  

Yes.  Hell is a physical place.  Jesus spoke many times of this place.  It is referenced often in the Old Testament, though it is, as aw stated, considered a level of Sheol, known as Gehenna.  There are many other references concerning this that I'd be happy to list if'n ya want.   :)

But it is important to note here, that your "euphemism" for separation from God, is death.  That is, afterall, what death is.  Physically, soul and spirit are separated from the body.  Spiritually, soul and spirit are separated from God.  We're all born spiritually dead, and in need of being "born again."  If a person dies physically while being spiritually dead...they are separated eternally from God in Hell.  

But, some day, Hell, death, Satan, Antichrist, Beast, and everyone who isn't saved will be cast into the Lake of Fire.  People won't spend eternity in Hell.  They'll spend eternity with Hell, in the judgment of the Lake of Fire.

Yes, I did see this program on The 700 Club.
I normally don't watch that show, I'm a big fan of John Hagee and Jack Van Impe myself, but one day I was surfing channels and I came upon this story. I was impressed by the statements that the hosts were making about how thoroughly this story had been investigated and The 700 Club was staking their reputation on the reality and truth of the story, so I watched with amazement.

After the program ended I immediately went to the 700 club web site and printed off a few copies for friends.

Here's the link...
cbn.org/living/amazingstories/raised_from_dead.asp (http://cbn.org/living/amazingstories/raised_from_dead.asp)

Yes, darby hell is a actual place of torment. Its where the wicked go not there physical person but there soul. See when we die and leave this world we each have a destination stop to either heaven or hell.

matt 25:46

and these will go away into eternal punishment, but righteous into eternal life.

matt18:8....It is better for you to enter eternal life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.

matt22:13..."Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

rev14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night , who worship the beast and his image , and whoever recieves the mark of his name.

To me hell would be trying to prove there is no God then on my deathbed finding out I can't prove it which would leave me in the same pace I started from many years earlier, and all I'd have to look forward to is death. Now that would be hell. A wasted life that leads to death forever. Hell is simply torment. I'm sure each person perceives torment differently. I perceive it as descending into a dark abyss from which I can never climb out. I think the depiction of the torment of Judas in "The Passion" illustrated that torment beautifully.

Why would anyone even ask such a question?

Hell -- eternal Hell -- is the Lake of Fire, created for the devil and his angels, but also reserved for those who are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev. 19:20; 20:10-15; 21:8,27).  

I trust each one reading this knows WITHOUT THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT, that his or her name is indeed written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

It is very simple to have your name written in that Book: "BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED" (Acts 16:31).

To believe means to OBEY THE GOSPEL (Rom. 10:8-21). The Gospel declares that Jesus of Nazareth is BOTH Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).  That He died for your sins, that He was also buried, and that He rose again the third day for your justification (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 4:25).  You must believe this with all your heart (Rom. 10:9-11).

That "belief" should produce repentance in your heart -- a recognition that you are a sinner who is hopelessly lost and therefore needs to be saved (Acts 16:30), and a recognition that God demands true repentance -- turning from your sins and idols and turning to the living God (Luke 24:46,47; Acts 2:38;3:19).

Obedience to the Gospel also means receiving Christ as your Lord and Saviour, calling upon the name of the Lord (Jn 1:12,13; Rom. 10:12,13).  

Finally obedience to the Gospel means being immediately baptized as a believer after you are saved (Acts 10:47,48). Baptism does not save, and it cannot wash away your sins,  but is a testimony before God and man that your ARE SAVED. When you are baptized by immersion, you are FULLY IDENTIFYING YOURSELF with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for your personal salvation:

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.  And he that believeth not shall be d**ned" (Mark. 16:16).

[Please note carefully also that only the King James Bible treats this verse as the very Word of God.  All modern versions cast doubt upon the genuiness of these words WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION. See "The Last Twelve Verses of Mark" by Dean John William Burgon for proof. So beware of modern bible versions.]

Heidi:

The Bible is objective truth, not subjective perception.

Therefore Hell is NOT "simply torment", but eternal separation from a loving, holy and righteous God and the Lord Jesus Christ in indescribable anguish of body and soul.

The unrighteous or unsaved dead are first resurrected, then judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, then cast into the Lake of Fire, where there are degrees of punishment (Rev. 20:10-15).  So hell is not purely subjective, as you suggest, but is objectively the Lake of Fire, located in "outer darkness", a place of eternal fire and torment where there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth, where their worm died not and the fire is not quenched, a place of such indescribably anguish of body and soul that none should go there but that ALL should come to repentance.  

That is exactly why God says that "HE IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH [ SUFFER ETERNAL DAMNATION] BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE"  (2 Pet. 3:9).

Now that is powerful scripture!

Thanks for the post, Sower.

Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen!

Hell is simply torment from not knowing God.

Heidi , now that's not what the bible says about hell. Jesus describes it as a actual place of torment and if Jesus says its a real place then its a real place case closed  ;)

Amen, Jenn:

That's the only way to believe God, believe Christ ,and believe His Word -- God said it, I believe it, that settles it!

Sower

Hell is not your concern, salvation is. Asking questions about
such a thing will prevent you from focusing on the most important thing in your life and that is the word Truth.

Truth is clearly defined. You can not claim something to be unless you have witnessed it. To guess the answer to a question, even though it turns out to be true, you have still
told a lie, because you have claimed it to be the truth.

Truth is the meaning to your faith, you must live by that alone, otherwise you will become blind and everything may
become confusing in your life. Remember truth is the only
thing you can believe in this world.

Where is hell?

Some think it is in the center of the earth.  It kind of makes sense if you think about it.  The epitome of earthly-ness and this-worldly-ness, would logically be the center of the earth.  It is not my intention to go there, but it is a result of my curious humanity to ponder this concept.  You know, a good way to fight opposition is to understand it...  It is your Christian duty to fight evil and wickedness.  Understanding what hell is may in some way help you to keep off of the path which leads to it, and help you to work against it, somehow, maybe.

On the side, I would like to just state that I just took notice of the title of this web forum, and it is "Christians Unite".  It seems like sometimes the nitpicking and little things can divide us, but we must remember that what it boils down to is that we are all brothers and sisters is Christ.   :)    

 I haven't witnessed Heaven, does that mean I shouldn't speak of it?
 Jesus spoke often about hell, therefore it is truth. Also, if it wasn't important Jesus wouldn't have spoken about it.

 We can and should warn others about hell. Non believers would have a legitimate complaint when they find themselves in a place they were not warned about. Jesus commands us to tell the entire truth when we witness, not just the good stuff...For example; if we know fornication is a sin and we don't warn a friend who is engaging in it, that it is a sin, then we are guilty of sinning by not telling them.

Take care Lee.

Bronzesnake

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Outer darkness. Hell is not in the center of the earth. However, if you read descriptions of black holes in outer space, you could easily imagine hell being one of them.

Bronzesnake.

This is hell--or a foretaste of hell, where we are now.

Compared to the real hell, this world is a tropical paradise with chocolate kisses and Champaign rainstorms.. ;)

Jer 10:12

12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.




Isa 11:9

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.



Ps 47:7

7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

1 Chron 16:31

31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.


Ps 67:2

2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.


Ps 83:18

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Gen 1:31

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.


Ps 96:1
96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.



Ps 119:119

119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.

Yes the earth was made by God in perfection but sin destroyed that perfection. Earth will be the site of destruction. Before I discuss why I would like to encourage to read the bible and to look up  all the biblical references I will give you for yourself and not just take what I say.  I believe that you can always learn something new from the bible everytime you read it. It is also a good idea to pray before opening God's Word. I am using the New King James Version.  

Sheol is a hebrew word that has been translated into three words: grave, pit, hell. There are a lot of misconceptions about heaven and hell and the state of the dead that I will touch on.  

The first misconception is that there is a  currently burning hell and that those that die go straight to heaven or hell. Ecclesiastics 9:5. "The living know that they will die. But the dead know nothing."  

The bible compares death to sleep.
John 11: 11-12 states : "These things he said, and after that he said to them. Our friends Lazarus sleeps. but I go that I may wake him up . Then his disciples said. :Lord if he sleeps he will get well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. "
Jesus used sleep to emphasize the point that the dead will know nothing until their resurrection in his 2nd coming.  At which point it will be as if awakening from sleep because they will not know of the time that has passed.


Many people use Eccl. 12:7: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" to support the claim that the spirit a thinking entity immediately preceding death lives on to go to heaven or hell.

In the beginning of time when God created Adam and Eve he breathed into their dust made bodies the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Without this breath or in other words "spirit" their is no life here or anywhere else. Psalms 146:3,4: "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Everything is reverted to its original state. No breath, no body equals no life.  

So When will  judgement be dealt?
John Matthew 13:40, "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire at the end of this age." The tares represent evil, wicked, sin. Jesus specifically stated that they would be destroyed in the end of the world.

Another example can be found in Matthew 14:27 :For the son of man will come in the glory of his father with his angels, then he will reward each according to his works."

Luke 14:14. "And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

2 Peter 2:9: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished"

Unlike popular belief the judgement is a step by step process that will not be dealt all at once.
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17: "For the Lord himself shall descend  from heaven and with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then  we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord"

When the righteous ascend to heaven it will not be in a secret rapture.
Rev. 1-7: Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen"

What happends after the righteous ascend to heaven?Revelations 20:...then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not recieved  his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned  with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with his a thousand years....now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.....and fire came down from God our of heaven and decoured them. The devil who decieved them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophets are. and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.....and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things that were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found in the Book of life was cast into the lake of fire. "  (you should read the whole chapter).

According to scripture (the passages above) earth is the sight of damnation therefore earth will become "hell" after the 2nd Coming and other occurances stated in the bible.
The idea that the dead go straight to heaven and hell is etched in Greek mythology not biblical references.
 
Will the fire burn eternally?
Kacey asked how can anyone in heaven be happy knowing that their love one's are burning eternally? And would God be so cruel as to inflict eternal suffering?  The vindictive  and wrathful vision persented by man of God is the reason why many people have turned away from God. I agree that that state of death from the fire is only thing that's eternal. Why? because God does not take pleasure in our pain. 2Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to repentance". The fire is not eternal it will burn until there is nothing left to burn.
Here are some Biblical examples that depict this:
Malachi 4:3 : "And you shall tread down the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet"  

The fire shall devour them (it doesn't say 'keep on' devouring
them).....Psalm 21:9.
Evil doers will be cut off.....Psalm 37:9.
The wicked will not be.....Psalm 37:10.
The wicked shall perish.....Psalm 37:20.
They shall consume away.....Psalm 37:20.
They shall be cut off.....Psalm 37:22.
The wicked shall be slain.....Psalm 62:3.
The wicked will he destroy.....Psalm 145:20.
The wicked are reserved to the day of judgment.....Job 21:30.
They will be burned  up......Malachi 4:1.
The wicked shall be as stubble.....Malachi 34:1.
It shall leave them neither root nor branch.....Malachi 4:1.
They shall be ashes under foot.....Malachi 4:3.
Turning Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, making them an example to the ungodly..... 2Peter 2:6.
As fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them..... Revelation
20:9.

In Jude 7 Sodom and Gomorrah were burned with an "everlasting fire". Also in Isaiah 34:10- the phrase burning forever and ever is also used in regards to the land of Idumea. You must agree that neither fire is burning today.

What happends after the earth and all evil is destroyed?
Revelations 21:1" Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea, Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying." Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, now crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" Amen