Destruction of Hell

[markprice]

I will disagree with you, but then the bible is not an easy book to agree on. For example the quote you give of "forever and ever" I think, from memory, is actually translated from a greek word eon which actually means for an indeterminate, if longish time not eternity..

I am not sure where you get the idea of a NEW heaven from. Heaven doesnt change nor do all the other civilizartions in heaven which were uncorrupted by the fall.

I got that from revelation 21:1 but I see it is also: Isaiah 65:17, 66:22 and 2Peter 3:13.

Only earth has to be renewed and restored to its original state. It is quite likely for consistency in the bible writing, that in that restored edenic state there would be no seas, as there were none in eden.The heavenly city with the garden of eden does "touch down" as a centrepiece of the new earth but in my understanding, biblically, heaven consists of all of the universe governed by god. The heavenly city is the place of governance for all of heaven

I'm okay with that.

. But i have no particular investment in the bible as literal truth. I study it find it fascinating and informative and live by it, as both a book written by men and women in contact with god, and also as a good practical way to live my life. It also has many very important spiritual truths about the nature of humanity and how to be happy and fulfilled; Indeed how to create heaven on earth, in our lives today.

Much more important and significant to me is my personal ongoing relationship with god. Books (even the bible) are not really needed for this, although they can be interesting and helpful. God teaches, mentors, and interacts with me as he did with those in the bible. This is how all humans are meant to live, in my opinion, because it fulfils what we are capable of being.

The words of christ and others in the bible make real sense only when you live with god.Then they all become clear and self evidently true.

That's why I value your opinion.

The wages of sin is death, not eternal suffering. And the god i know and love offers only life rather than death, not eternal damnation or suffering. That theology was introduced by the catholics many years after the introduction of christianity, and personally I do not find it in the bible. It turns more people away from a relationship with god than it brings to him and so, why would it be god's expectation or part of the message of the bible.? The christian God is a god of love and mercy albeit just. He does not condemn us to death, but offers everyone of us eternal life. We chose death by our own choices, thoughts and deeds.

Sin is forgivable. Eternal suffering would be for those who choose hell. I hear there is a lot more to hell than just suffering though. God is the god of everything. Nobody has that all figured out. But the point is God pulled away and left hell to fend for itself. It's a losing game and they actually like it that way. It's an entirely different way of thinking completely alien to typical philosophical reasoning like: if a person knows good from bad they will always choose good because they don't want pain. None of that applies in hell. I mean it is really hell and not some idea of hell that fits any particular belief system.

[Marcion Meets E. Sibyl]

The void is also interesting. You could say it is a lack of souls and everything else--lack of energy, then a soul not being a void is energy, right? Physics came to the conclusion that energy cannot be destroyed. If you agree that God is All then that would include all kinds of energy, and I don't think you want to limit God even with speculation that parts of Him can be destroyed. Individuals can be destroyed but not energy IMO.

Hi markprice,

Deep down I feel that it's not matter, nor anti-matter; therefore, it's not energy. You might have some "thing" there, however; we just don't have the technology nor the total imagination to measure or totally comprehend it. I used to believe that the soul's some kind of surreal data storage, especially after I came back from the Void. The Bible tells us that it can be destroyed and its memories erased or replaced(?) and the Holy Spirit has a way to commune with it, sanctify it. The Holy Spirit has a way to access its entire contents, perhaps, to know what side its still on?

Peace.

Edited April 26, 2013 by braveone2u

[Irrelevant]

Even Satan has begun to repent!

[WhisperingAngel]

I believe that hell is a physical place, as well as a spiritual place. The Bible talks about the destruction of Satan and his demons and how GOD will prevail, in the end. So, yes. I believe that Hell can be destroyed. Satan will not prevail and neither will Hell.

[markprice]

Even Satan has begun to repent!

That's Irrelevant!

Actually it ties in with what you wrote above:

If you could see you would know hitlers is chained naked and tormented by the very people he tormented, unfortunately because they hold onto those emotions there in the lower realms to. The teaching about forgiveness was given for this reason, nobody who holds onto such negative emotions can receive us even if we try communicate with them, they would rather hurt those who hurt them. To stay there for long is very dangerous, we have lost some who go there to help, the reality is there's powerful under lords with servants there, but the trap is to allow them to accuse you because of transgressions which they know, allow them to condemn you in your heart and you will be. You will then be in hell too, only the most alert can escape the lower realms if they choose to go there and stay for more than a short period. The liberation of hell will happen but it will take a long time. There is vast distances between the hell, lower realms, middle realms, higher realms and the actual Kingdom.

Victims going to hell just to torment their enemy is kind of amazing if you think about it. But I think you have pushed forgiveness too far when it comes to a devil like satan. He would of course be in a different category than hitler. I'm not saying hitler should be forgiven but satan is a totally different animal likely repulsed by even the thought of forgiveness. I wouldn't call it the "liberation of hell" but maybe the transformation of hell. Either way it is still hell. Is it transmutation you are referring to, like lead into gold or evil into divine? Easier to change lead into gold.

[markprice]

A couple of points because there seemed to be some confusion. 1) The void surrounds hell. 2) If an entity--hypothetically speaking--could be responsible for all the misery, suffering, pain and destruction in human history is it feasible that at some point God would say, "Good for you, now have a seat in heaven". 3) If a soul is detectable by any means then it is energy. 4) Hell, surrounded by a void, produces its own energy. A self contained system the opposite of heaven.

And for Christians: do you believe that Jesus went to hell for three days to grab the keys and set some souls free? What are these keys?