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Rethinking Hell
| Most people have an
idea of hell that represents and eternal conscious torment image. That
those who are not Christian will be consciously tormented for an
infinite eternity. This may not be as accurate as commonly thought. It
makes God sound unjust and even if useful in scaring people, that which
is not true does not serve God.
The English word Hell is used to translate several other words. The
Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades are translated hell as the
place dead people go. Jesus uses the Hebrew word gehenna which is
taken to mean the valley of Hinnon where children were burned alive to
the false god Molech and was then used as a garbage dump. These should
be differentiated from the Lake of fire described in Revelation.
The lost are said to perish or be destroyed. While there are references
to torment, suffering, and gnashing of teeth, the particulars of
duration and degree are often not cited. Additionally the general word
“eternal” is used to translate the Greek word aion which simply means
an age of variable length. The bible says that the “gift” of God is
eternal life. It is difficult to think how the unsaved will suffer
eternally without this “gift”.
An additional problem is seeing justice in eternal punishment. The
bible speaks or proportionality (judged according to works), However,
even light punishment forever seems unjust. This opens the door to a
theological concept of annihilationism. Many have an abhorant view of
the word because they assume it lets people off scott free. However,
there may be degrees of punishment in some manner that we do not
understand.
Here punishment is an interesting subject. If Christ “paid” for the sin
of the whole world, is that punishment transfered back to those who
reject Christ. We do not know how sin is a debt, and to whom it is
owed, and can it be transfered by to the unbeliever, and why. There is
so much that is not known and perhaps unknowable, that we have to be
careful and not allow speculation to be taken as doctrine.
The Lake of Fire of Revelation might be more of an incinerator than an
eternal flame. Death and Hell are said to be thrown in the lake of fire
and called the “second death”. Those that say that punishment continues
often cite Revelation 20:10 which is usually translated “where are the
beast and false prophet” (who were thrown in earlier). However, the
word “are” is not in the Greek and it is thin to use an inserted word
to support a speculation.
There is sufficient reason to question the traditional view of hell if
only because sheol and hades are only temporary. The idea of infinite
eternality may have come from Plato through Augustine who had been a
Neo Platonist earlier in his career. It may have gained traction in the
Catholic church as a cudgel to hold over the heads of the laity.
Perhaps the best argument for some form of annihilationism is that God is just and merciful.
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. - Psalm 89:14 |
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