Fires Of Hell

[Budman]

I have always wondered about this. Are the fires of Hell literal flames, or is the description just figurative?

warm regards

-bud

PS: I'm leaning toward the figurative.

[other one]

I don't know if they are actually oxygen combininge with some fuel, but they are much the same result in my opinion.

BTW I like your signiture (warm reguards) to go along with this subject.

[apothanein kerdos]

I think it's used more to describe the pain felt in hell. Hell is a real place with real pain, and this pain is caused by seperation from God.

At the same time, the Greek uses many of these verses about hell and fire in a literal sense in the grammer....so I think it could be descriptive and literal at the same time.

[Budman]

It seems that if we take the flames of hell literally, it makes no sense. For example, hell is described as a place of outer darkness and yet there are flames, too.

Another example that the flames may be figurative is that we are told Christ is going to return surrounded by flames and that He's going to have a big sword coming out of His mouth. But nobody thinks Christ won't be able to say anything because He'll be choking on a sword. The figure of the sword stands for the word of God in judgment.

Also, in Hebrews 12:29, God is called a consuming fire. Yet nobody thinks God is a cosmic Bunsen burner. Using the flame imagery in regards to hell is a way of saying He's a God of judgment.

In Revelation, we are told that hell and death will be cast into the lake of fire. Now, hell is not something that can burn. It's a realm. And how can you burn death? Death isn't something you can set a torch to and ignite it.

I think the torments of hell are a description of how those there will feel for eternity. A state of anger or realization of great loss. An expression of rage at realizing that one has made a huge mistake.

What is literal is that this is a place of utter heartbreak. It is a loss of everything, and it's meant to stand for the fact that hell is the worst possible situation that could happen to a person.

warm regards

-bud

PS: (To Other One) I used "warm regards" for over a year when I was on ICQ. I like it, so I thought I'd carry it over here.

[AllforJesustheLord]

Jesus said, where the fire, is not quenched, and the worm does not cease, I believe both are true. Which means literal fire, in the spiritual sense, and literal worms in the spiritual sense. That means this is spiritual fire, and spiritual worms, they are real, but are different then the physical yet the same.

[larryt]

It seems that if we take the flames of hell literally, it makes no sense. For example, hell is described as a place of outer darkness and yet there are flames, too.

Another example that the flames may be figurative is that we are told Christ is going to return surrounded by flames and that He's going to have a big sword coming out of His mouth. But nobody thinks Christ won't be able to say anything because He'll be choking on a sword. The figure of the sword stands for the word of God in judgment.

Also, in Hebrews 12:29, God is called a consuming fire. Yet nobody thinks God is a cosmic Bunsen burner. Using the flame imagery in regards to hell is a way of saying He's a God of judgment.

In Revelation, we are told that hell and death will be cast into the lake of fire. Now, hell is not something that can burn. It's a realm. And how can you burn death? Death isn't something you can set a torch to and ignite it.

I think the torments of hell are a description of how those there will feel for eternity. A state of anger or realization of great loss. An expression of rage at realizing that one has made a huge mistake.

What is literal is that this is a place of utter heartbreak. It is a loss of everything, and it's meant to stand for the fact that hell is the worst possible situation that could happen to a person.

warm regards

-bud

PS: (To Other One) I used "warm regards" for over a year when I was on ICQ. I like it, so I thought I'd carry it over here.

There are many flames that do not emit visible light. The heat is from the infra-red and is not visible to the eye. Burning sulfer is one of thes I believe.

LT

[Catsmeow]

I think it's used more to describe the pain felt in hell. Hell is a real place with real pain, and this pain is caused by seperation from God.

At the same time, the Greek uses many of these verses about hell and fire in a literal sense in the grammer....so I think it could be descriptive and literal at the same time.

Yep!

[Catsmeow]

It seems that if we take the flames of hell literally, it makes no sense. For example, hell is described as a place of outer darkness and yet there are flames, too.

Budman: *(BTW, I love your name. I call my 18 lb. kitty "Budman", a nickname for "Buddy").

Anyway, in regards to hell...I take it at face value since Jesus describes a rich man who spent his life caring only for his own needs and disregarded the needs of others. A poor man went correspondingly to "Abraham's Bosom"...a pleasant place, like a paradise and a place of rest...but the rich man went to a place of intense heat and misery.

Many people believe that hades is a place where people go until a final White Throne Judgement. I honestly don't know if this is the sequence of events but honestly, Budman...I wouldn't want to wait around and find out.

A lot of people live in denial because they don't want to really surrender their life to Christ. There's a problem in waiting till a later time to come to Christ. There may never be "another time" to find Him.

Friend, if today you hear His voice, do not say, "I'll wait and maybe later...". You may already know the Lord and are just asking this question for curiosity's sake.

But if you don't know Him, I hope you'll sit down and just talk to Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

If you DO know Him, it's a good question and there's some degree of dispute what comes next. Do the believers "sleep" or do they "rest in the grave in a suspended state of the soul" or do they go to "paradise" *(as Jesus said to the thief on the cross)?

I'm not really sure but I do believe hell is meant to literally describe a place of enormous suffering and misery. Jesus says clearly there will be wailing and knashing of teeth...and that sounds horrible to me.

[BobTriez]

Interesting topic...for those who care. Not being rude, but since I'm not going there, I don't care! My eyes are fixed on Jesus and I'd rather talk on things of heaven, not hell

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable

[Catsmeow]

Maybe we need a new thread all about heaven.