Is Hell a Real Place?

Theology
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Is Hell a Real Place?

The question of whether hell is a real, physical place or simply a metaphorical concept has been a topic of debate among theologians and believers for centuries. Some believe that hell is a literal place of eternal punishment for the wicked, while others argue it symbolizes a state of separation from God.

In the Bible, hell is often described as a place of torment and punishment. For example, Jesus referred to it as a place where “the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). There are also references to the “lake of fire” in Revelation, where the wicked are thrown along with the devil and his angels (Revelation 20:10).

But what does all of this mean? Is hell a literal place of fiery punishment, or is it more of a spiritual state of being apart from God’s presence? Does God really send people to hell, or is it a consequence of human choice? What are your thoughts? Feel free to share your perspective and any scriptures that inform your view.

If you’re curious about what the Bible says about the nature of hell, or if you want to explore different interpretations and theological perspectives, check out these articles for a deeper dive:

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Let’s focus on this above… I don’t agree that the example you offer supports the premise you make. You say- the Bible often describes hell as a place of torment and punishment, but the example of this that you offer says nothing of the sort.

Jesus, when speaking about hell, refers to a real place- known as Gehenna, which while certainly being a miserable place on earth, it was not a place of eternal torment and punishment. It was the city dump.

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Luke chapter 16

Jesus tells us about two sides of the Gulf. Neither side can cross over.
Lazarus went to paradise.
Rich man went to sheol, called hell. It’s holding place for the spiritually dead and wicked until judgment Day.
Cross reference. 2 esdras chapter 7

Side of delight
Pits of torment

I documented it.

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I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s safe to say that hell is the state of being eternally separated from God without chance of repentance. But I also believe that this takes place somewhere specific.

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If hell is a real place/either physical or metaphysical, what is the purpose of hell?

A place of eternal, conscious torment?

A place of long term correction and cleansing of the soul?

A place where souls are annihilated, separation from God and hope? What about the Catholic belief in purgatory? Is that a possibility ?

Something else? I don’t think we can know for sure.

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THAT IS NOT TRUE.
Hell / hades is not a place on earth.

[2Pe 2:4] For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

are you saying the angels that sinned are chained here on earth?

[Luk 16:23 ] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
[Luk 16:26 ] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass from there to us.

are you saying that the rich man who was in hell that could see Lazarus and Abraham in heaven on the other side who have already died many hundreds years before was seeing abraham on earth?

[Mrk 9:43]And if thy hand causes thee to fall, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that can never be quenched,

**are you saying that this hell fire that can never be quenched is on earth? tell me where the fire is that never stop? **
let me help you there are nowhere as such on earth…

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we can know. all those questions can be answered by reading the bible…

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No they cannot. Unless you stretch scripture beyond what it does say.

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Again its simply not true what you say.
you got to read the Bible.

1. If hell is a real place/either physical or metaphysical, what is the purpose of hell?

as you see it is a physical place and the fire will never quench/extinguish

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched :

and the purpose of hell was for satan but all who don’t believe will go with him its those who are not found in the book of life those who didn’t believe in God and rejected his only begotten Son Jesus

2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving , and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone : which is the second death

2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire .

2. A place of eternal, conscious torment?

as i showed you in the other verse the fire will never be extinguished

then here you see the rich man who is in hell is tormented conciously

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke 16:24
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

3. A place of long term correction and cleansing of the soul?

answer to that lays in the other answers i gave you. its eternal punishment just like it says in those scriptures plain and simple.

4. A place where souls are annihilated, separation from God and hope? What about the Catholic belief in purgatory? Is that a possibility ?

purgatory is not found in the bible.
and yes you are by default separated from God when you are in hell, and there is no way of coming back.

we have to stop using our feelings to change scriptures.
yes its hard knowing lots of people go there everyday but they took themselves there by rejecting God.

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That makes sense to me. That would explain the demons.

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Was Jesus confused in Mark 9 or just mistaken, when he referenced Gehenna?

In Luke, he spoke of a place called Tartarus (the place of departed souls) in the telling of the story of Lazarus and the rich man. It’s a direct reference to that same kind of ‘refiner’s fire’ that is used to purify gold to remove the dross and impurities… Theologians have twisted the original language and proper imagery into some sort of medieval torture chamber, where people are tormented forever by eternal burning.

That’s not the association Jesus makes-- ever. In one case, ‘hell’ is likened to a city dump where refuse is consumed-- where the smoldering fire is never extinguished. In the other case, it’s a place where the departed ‘on opposite sides of a gulf’ have conversations with one another? In the case of that rich man in “hell” it’s shown to be a place of grieving because of the circumstances, not a place of suffering intollerable pain from being burned in a fire.

Literalists suffer here on earth, from not understanding spiritual truths. It must be hell for them.

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That’s a very good point.

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This isn’t about feelings. It is about word studies and traditional interpretations that are rarely questioned.

@MrE makes very good points in his post.

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I’d love to elaborate, but the conversation demands drifting off into dream land. If one discounts the value of dreams, I don’t have much else to offer.

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You are the true literalist because you think its Gehenna a place in Israel and that’s it, but i think the dumb is the image of what was to come, i mean that’s what Jesus did he explained things by using things of Israel to explain to them.
for example the Vineyard in matthew 21:40 represents the Jewish people who were begotten from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that doesn’t mean they are the vineyard

here is what Easton lexicon says, and the others i have seen agrees.

Gehenna

(originally Ge bene Hinnom; i.e., “the valley of the sons of Hinnom”), a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the idolatrous Jews offered their children in sacrifice to Molech 2Ch 28:3 ,2Ch.28.3, 2Ch 33:6 , 2Ch.33.6 , Jer 7:31, Jer.7.31);
Jer 19:2-6, Jer.19.2-6, This valley afterwards became the common receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and consumed by fire kept always burning. It thus in process of time became the image of the place of everlasting destruction . In this sense it is used by our Lord in [Mat 5:22, Mat.5.22), Mat 5:29 ,Mat.5.29), Mat 5:30; [Mat 10:28, Mat.10.28); [Mat 18:9 , Mat.18.9); [Mat 23:15], Mat.23.15), [Mat 23:33, Mat.23.33); [Mrk 9:43] ,Mrk.9.43), [Mrk 9:45] , Mrk.9.45), [Mrk 9:47], Mrk.9.47); [Luk 12:5], Luk.12.5). In these passages, and also in [Jas 3:6]Jas.3.6), the word is uniformly rendered “hell,” the Revised Version placing “Gehenna” in the margin. (See HELL; HINNOM.)

do you get it ? that dumb became the image for the real eternal destruction of unbelievers that will happen, that’s how Jesus used it and the others to show what hell would be like where the fire is never quenched.

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Oh- I quite agree with you, in that Jesus was using something real and tangible and known, as a way to create an association with something unseen and unknown. He was using Gehenna as an example of what ‘hell’ is like–conceptually.

It’s a place of waste. A place of regret. A place of destruction. In other stories he invokes the idea of burning off the pruned branches of a tree. Those branches that bear no fruit, along with the brambles and weeds are cut off, gathered up and destroyed by fire, not as some sort of punishment-- but simply as a practical matter of disposal.

The branches are pruned not because of some desire to punish them-- but simply to get rid of them. Not hate for the useless branches, but for the good and for the love of the tree.

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This is the Great white throne judgement where the dead unbelievers will be resurrected to judgement in their original bodies, where even hell and the people in it will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the last place they will go, its the second death.

[Rev 20:10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever .

[Rev 20:11 ] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them

[Rev 20:12 ] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works .

[Rev 20:13 ] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works .

[Rev 20:14 ] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire . This is the second death.

[Rev 20:15 ] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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So if you think this is not real too then i can’t help none of you, then its a problem of not believing the word of God.

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He really doesn’t. he doesn’t understand it clearly.
all scholars agree that Hell is real but gehenna was used as an image of what was to come. and at the end of the age, there will be a great white throne judgement where God will raise up all the dead unbelievers in their original bodies, to judge them and all those who are not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire which burns forever. as you can see per the scripture i posted to the other guy.

you really think that you are the one who got something and interpret it correctly? because all the best christian apologist the last 2000 years agree with me, you think they didn’t know what they were talking about? specially the early church and the apostolic fathers? and church fathers? they knew much more than the average christian today who gets his views from youtube channels lol, which is why there are so many interpretations today, people listen from others and then preach it, without even knowing what the bible truly says.

if you are hungry for the truth go and read all the bible and read what best of the best christian preachers, apostles, ministers believed the last 2000 years, just search up the ancient commentaries by each bible verse you don’t understand.
they all believed in eternal punishment.
and it can be backed up by scriptures.
please study and you will understand all this one day.
God bless my friend.

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Oh wow. Great suggestion… “Read the Bible.”

Golly. I hadn’t thought of that.

Good to know that 2000 years worth of the best Christian apologists agree with you on everything. That makes you so credible.

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