Is Hell an Allegory?

[Mudcat]

First you have a good response to the things that I said. However the last part I do not necessarily agree with as I do not see Psalm 59:7 as a metaphor at all. But David was saying that the voice of the enemy had swords in the mouth as the things they were shouting out while in battle. But David trusted in the Lord and God gave them triump over their enemies and David prayed that God would let him see his desire over his enemies vs. #10

OC

I guess, the point I was trying to make is that there a points in Scripture where things are meant figuratively. It seems you are willing to agree that the swords in their lips, was actually a reference to battle cry or...perhaps sharp and hateful words. But not literal swords coming out of their lips.

My thought is that our description of what Hell is, may be a figurative description...due to our inability to understand a true literal one.

What do you think?

[JesusisGod2]

Hell is a real place, IMO, a place where the damned are separated from God for eternity, decomposed hulks left in the dark at the mercy of satan, with all hope gone. I can think of no worse place to spend forever...can you?

Actually they will not be at the mercy of satan, as satan will also be in torment along with his demon followers and the unsaved. There will be no lines of or ranks of authority.

[Dotter of Eve]

A fair deal of you replied to what I said about my friend. I appreiciate your concern, but I didn't mean to make this about him or myself. Believe me I know the deal this is and I am not just letting it be. I assure you I minister to him, but it's become something that's bigger than I should have to be dealing with - I could really use your prayers. If you want to talk more about it than you may message me, but that's all I'm gonna say right here.

On a different note; I believe Hell is a real place. Whether it's spiritual bodies or physical: I don't care. The Bible taks more about Hell than it does Heaven: Why that is escapes me. It seems to me that the determination of our after-life should not be based on making safe and sure that we go to the right place in the new begining, but that we have our hearts set on Christ. Got that? Christ - Not Heaven. I'm sure many of you know this.

Yes, we are awarded for our works. No, works alone cannot save us for it is impossible to please HIM without faith. In the same way we are called to surrender our hearts/lives and because we have done that then we will inherit eternal life as a reward. You could say that someone would never do that if there was no Heaven or Hell, so your intentions are still selfish. I think that's a reasonable arguement, but if God had things any other way than HE does than HE wouldn't be the God that HE is, the God that we surrender to. Brothers and sisters, I pray that we don't get caught up in disecting the Word to figure out things that are irrelevant to us today, but instead focus on what God wants for us now.

I'm a fan of theology. I know I get off topic alot and say unnessicary things. lol In my defense: I don't get the opportunity to speak my mind anywhere else but over the internet.

Edited April 1, 2008 by Dotter of Eve

[Openly Curious]

First you have a good response to the things that I said. However the last part I do not necessarily agree with as I do not see Psalm 59:7 as a metaphor at all. But David was saying that the voice of the enemy had swords in the mouth as the things they were shouting out while in battle. But David trusted in the Lord and God gave them triump over their enemies and David prayed that God would let him see his desire over his enemies vs. #10

OC

I guess, the point I was trying to make is that there a points in Scripture where things are meant figuratively. It seems you are willing to agree that the swords in their lips, was actually a reference to battle cry or...perhaps sharp and hateful words. But not literal swords coming out of their lips.

My thought is that our description of what Hell is, may be a figurative description...due to our inability to understand a true literal one.

What do you think?

Hello Mudcat,

I don't seem to think that hell was described figurative at all by Jesus. For Jesus decribed hell strait forward and layed out there the truth of it, as it was to literally be like. There maybe those who are unable to grasp the concepts of hell but that doesn't mean a figurative description is needed for those to understand the concepts of hell and it's legitimatcy.

There are places in the word that uses symbolism to get the message across but they are not a figurative description at all.

So I still think that hell is not an allegory but it is a literal place prepared for the devil and his angels. There is no figurative description with a special truth with it due to the inability of some to understand the concepts of hell. It matters not what others believe or don't believe on the subject of hell for the truth has been given to them by Jesus Christ as a literal place not a figurative place

OC.

[Openly Curious]

First you have a good response to the things that I said. However the last part I do not necessarily agree with as I do not see Psalm 59:7 as a metaphor at all. But David was saying that the voice of the enemy had swords in the mouth as the things they were shouting out while in battle. But David trusted in the Lord and God gave them triump over their enemies and David prayed that God would let him see his desire over his enemies vs. #10

OC

I guess, the point I was trying to make is that there a points in Scripture where things are meant figuratively. It seems you are willing to agree that the swords in their lips, was actually a reference to battle cry or...perhaps sharp and hateful words. But not literal swords coming out of their lips.

My thought is that our description of what Hell is, may be a figurative description...due to our inability to understand a true literal one.

What do you think?

Hello Mudcat,

I don't seem to think that hell was described figurative at all by Jesus. For Jesus decribed hell strait forward and layed out there the truth of it, as it was to literally be like. There maybe those who are unable to grasp the concepts of hell but that doesn't mean a figurative description is needed for those to understand the concepts of hell and it's legitimatcy.

There are places in the word that uses symbolism to get the message across but they are not a figurative description at all.

So I still think that hell is not an allegory but it is a literal place prepared for the devil and his angels. There is no figurative description with a special truth with it due to the inability of some to understand the concepts of hell. It matters not what others believe or don't believe on the subject of hell for the truth has been given to them by Jesus Christ as a literal place not a figurative place

OC.

I agree with you OC that hell is not an allegory, and that the fire and brimstone are real.

Thanks Butero as hell is not at all a allegory, as the fire and brimstone are very much real as you say. All of us Christians should use the reality of this truth to share the reality of the truth about hell. For it is very much dangerous to overlook the teachings of Jesus Christ concerning hell being an allegory. For once more hell is real and to see it as anything other that is to be in error.

OC

[Mudcat]

Thanks Butero as hell is not at all a allegory, as the fire and brimstone are very much real as you say. All of us Christians should use the reality of this truth to share the reality of the truth about hell. For it is very much dangerous to overlook the teachings of Jesus Christ concerning hell being an allegory. For once more hell is real and to see it as anything other that is to be in error.

OC

Hi OC,

I don't find myself in a position of disagreement with you, I am still pondering the subject. The literal fire and brimstone hell, implies that this same Jesus that died for the world, is going to burn the souls that did not accept the Gospel and even those that did not receive the Gospel for eternity. From my mortal perspective, that seems a little harsh...being roasted alive for eternity. Especially for those who had no chance to receive the Gospel.

If that is the way it is, I am sure it will make more sense to me when I meet him face to face. But right now, I think it seems kinda cruel.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Mudcat

[Arthur Durnan]

Gee whiz, why not settle the matter for time & eternity by allowing Jesus Christ, the very God of the universe, speak to the issue. And then, for our part, believe what He declares....unless we know more than He does?

Jesus said that hell is a place one would not want to go to. Luke 16:19-31 cannot be more crystal-clear.

False cultists like the "Jehovah's False Witnesses" decry Christ's warnings and relegate hell to the grave. However, the word "grave" in Greek is queber, whereas the word for the eternal destiny of the damned is "gehenna." One is not the other. Our Lord also warned about a place where "the fire is not quenched, nor the worm dieth not." Plus the Apostle John in Revelation 20:15 couldn't be more explicit when he states the lost will be "tormented", or in the Greek "vexed with grievous pains." Hell, to this particular observer, doesn't sound much like heaven as in John Chapter 14. Looks like two very different eternal destinies, one which invites, and one which draws one up fairly short, no?

It isn't always the wisest course to equate clerical collars & correct scriptural exegesis. The best method is to read and believe what the essential Creator-God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Christian Church, has spoken on the subject as opposed to denominational or cultic rhetoric. In following what Jesus has declared - on any issue - spares one from having to sing, "Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine?" Or something like that.

Bottom Line: MISS gehenna at all costs!

P.S. Now I'm off to the local Starbucks out of Seattle for one of their too-highly-priced caramel lattes. I hear they're getting new coffee machines to better expedite customers' orders. But one shouldn't go to the bank on that. Hmm, in today's economy, perhaps one should go to the bank much at all?

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

[Guest HIS girl]

Imagine being in a place where you think you are alone, isolated (actually it's packed) : alone with all your memories of your time on earth with all it's loneliness, shame, regret - knowing you can never go back or change things and your present situation is for eternity..Hell.

Even in this fallen world, it's still joyful with beauty to behold because we have God near. Hell - where God is not......

[Openly Curious]

Thanks Butero as hell is not at all a allegory, as the fire and brimstone are very much real as you say. All of us Christians should use the reality of this truth to share the reality of the truth about hell. For it is very much dangerous to overlook the teachings of Jesus Christ concerning hell being an allegory. For once more hell is real and to see it as anything other that is to be in error.

OC

Hi OC,

I don't find myself in a position of disagreement with you, I am still pondering the subject. The literal fire and brimstone hell, implies that this same Jesus that died for the world, is going to burn the souls that did not accept the Gospel and even those that did not receive the Gospel for eternity. From my mortal perspective, that seems a little harsh...being roasted alive for eternity. Especially for those who had no chance to receive the Gospel.

If that is the way it is, I am sure it will make more sense to me when I meet him face to face. But right now, I think it seems kinda cruel.

You are not alone in your belief's about God being looked at as being cruel as there are many who share the same view.

But it is not God's intention to destroy the people who do unrighteous in the world but God is going through a cleansing process where he is taking all unrighteousness out of the world.

"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have ever lasting life. God made a way for every human being that would ever be born to accept the sacrifice for the atonement for their sins and there is no excuse. Either one repents of their unrighteousness or they stay in their own wickedness. When one makes that choice then that persons sins will be destroyed and cast out. But the way I see it is that it is a beautiful thing that God is taking all wickedness out and we shall have a new heaven and a new earth and it will be grand to live in a place where no wickedness resides no murders no pain and so forth as that is what the original sin brought to us in this present world. But one day God will finish up the cleansing process and we can go home to live with Christ our Lord and Saviour forever in a world where no sin abides only good.

OC

[heresyhunter]

The reality of the "lake of fire" is far more dreadful than anything physical, such as fire and brimstone. Revelation 20:14 says that death and hades are cast into the lake of fire. Obviously, we cannot take this literally.