So, what, exactly, is Hell?

Most attempts at defining Heaven generally fall flat, I suppose. If you ask a priest you generally get a definition somewhere along the lines of "An eternity praising God!" and then when you imagine a church service that goes on forever and pull a face he leans closer and says "No. You'll ENJOY it.".
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hah, Ive been there. This is actually an interesting point, but wouldn't you agree that you can only talk to someone in terms of what they aready know? If you were asked to tell someone what a car was around 35 AD it might go something like this:
"so I was riding in my car..."
-"wait, whats a 'car'?"
"I guess its like a motorized carraige"
-"well, whats a carraige?"
"its a chariot with 4 wheels"
-"what does motorized mean?"
"it means it has an engine in it to makes it go foreward"
-"whats an engine?"
etc etc...
In the same way Jesus never says "Heaven is ___." Jesus says "Heaven is like____." Many parables are written about heaven so that it is kind of outlined for us. Heaven is never really pinpointed though. I believe we can not understand heaven and that is why Jesus takes the parable approach. Anyway, I'm just throwing that out there, I'm not trying to pose as the authority on the matter
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field..."
 
LOL that was a HORRIBLE analogy.

The difference is Heaven is the goal of your religion, what you are aiming for, living your life for, and yet, you know NOTHING about it.

If God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, don't you think a description back then would suffice now?

Sheesh.
 
^ :confused: yeah you missed what I said completely. Its about talking to someone on terms from they already know. like telling someone what a car is who has never seen one before, is probably like explaining Heaven to someone who has never seen it before. You would give analogies to describe a car. Jesus gave analogies to describe Heaven. This doesn't have anything to do with time era... If you still don't understand my post go explain IP subnetting to your grandmother or something, honestly sometimes it appears you get a kick out of misreading my posts...

Goal of my religion? Do you really have any idea what your talking about? because from here it looks like your making stuff up...
 
Master~Plan said:
^ :confused: yeah you missed what I said completely. Its about talking to someone on terms from they already know. like telling someone what a car is who has never seen one before, is probably like explaining Heaven to someone who has never seen it before. You would give analogies to describe a car. Jesus gave analogies to describe Heaven. This doesn't have anything to do with time era... If you still don't understand my post go explain IP subnetting to your grandmother or something, honestly sometimes it appears you get a kick out of misreading my posts...
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But I COULD teach my grandmother everything there is to know about IP subnetting, that was my point.

Sorry, but your analogy fails on many levels.

Why is Heaven so difficult to describe? Why is Hell so hard to describe? You're talking about the end game of your religion, it should be a clear, definite, concrete goal.

Goal of my religion? Do you really have any idea what your talking about? because from here it looks like your making stuff up...
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What, exactly, am I making up?

Don't you believe there's a goal? A goal is defined as the end toward which effort is directed. The END is your place in Heaven, isn't it? Or at the very least, avoiding Hell.

If I'm misunderstanding your posts, maybe the fault lies not with me, but with you.
 
Hell =

Fire that is never quenched
"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: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched'' (Mark 9:43-48).
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Eternal Torment
the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 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.
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Place for Satan
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matthew 25:41)
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Heaven =

Paradise
Luke 23:43: "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
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Where God and other Heavenly being dwell
1 Peter 3:22Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
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In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

I don't think there is any danger of ones paradise not living up to expectations! We are speaking of the God of all Creation who knows us better than we know ourselves. I think you can take the second YOU in the verse above and emphasize it without it losing its intended meaning. Part of the glory of Heaven must be seeing what God has prepared for our brothers and sisters in Christ and being able to fellowship there. Thinking Heaven can be less than the most wonderful thought you could ever have, DV? Impossible considering it is the one who loved our very soul enough to die for us, the Lamb slain, the perfect Sacrifice...for the wages of sin is death, He was sinless and could have lived forever, yet He chose the most horrible death in order to live eternally with His free willed creations...those who chose to be with Him. I think it will be a Paradise of our own making, so to speak! A place made by the God of everything, just for me!
 
But I COULD teach my grandmother everything there is to know about IP subnetting, that was my point.
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I would quickly take you up on that, but lets move on. I specifically posted "I believe we can not understand heaven" using the word "believe" for a reason. I also posted that I'm not claiming an authority on the matter. Prove to me the possibility of understanding Heaven, and I'll probably say "ok, your right"...
Sorry, but your analogy fails on many levels.

Why is Heaven so difficult to describe? Why is Hell so hard to describe?
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I understand I did not give an analogy on which the subject is impossible to learn, obviously because everything I know can be learned by man...
Please, fails on many levels? I'm sorry I'm far too daft for your great intellect. Pardon my intrustion on your converstion.
What possible notion draws you to conclude Heaven would it be easy to describe? Were talking a place outside of of our realm.
You're talking about the end game of your religion, it should be a clear, definite, concrete goal.
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I say everything would be much easier if contenents were perfectly round. They should be round.
What, exactly, am I making up?

Don't you believe there's a goal? A goal is defined as the end toward which effort is directed. The END is your place in Heaven, isn't it? Or at the very least, avoiding Hell.
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*sigh* theres no goal, thers no hidden agenda. Your question really makes no sense. Its like asking what is the goal of the physical plot of land we call Mexico.(not the govornment...) Ignore it, go there, look at it, whatever, your not going to change anything, theres still a chunk of land called Mexico.
If I'm misunderstanding your posts, maybe the fault lies not with me, but with you.
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of course
 
The difference is Heaven is the goal of your religion, what you are aiming for, living your life for, and yet, you know NOTHING about it.
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http://www.baptist-city.com/heaven.htm Good preaching audio on Heaven. http://dianedew.com/heaven.htm It seems this lady has done her homework on Heaven! I don't think Heaven can be considered what we are living our life for. I think it would be more adequately described as our final destination, a time we can rest. Aiming for sounds like we are working our way there!

If God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, don't you think a description back then would suffice now?
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I think there are several glimpses. See links above! Yet, I think for many reasons, it will be a big surprise. Namely, we will be seeing with Spiritual eyes and experiencing the joys of Heaven with a Heavenly body.
 
....lets just keep it as:

heaven: You want to go there.
hell: You dont want to go there.

Discussing temperatures of the air and humidity of the two places is rather unimportant in my opinion. The focus should be GETTING to the right place.

So...the answer to the original question: What is hell? Simply, a place you definitely do not want to go to.

Cheers. :D
 
The meaining of paradise =
the upper regions of the heavens. According to the early church Fathers, the paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world
 
Master~Plan said:
I would quickly take you up on that, but lets move on. I specifically posted "I believe we can not understand heaven" using the word "believe" for a reason. I also posted that I'm not claiming an authority on the matter. Prove to me the possibility of understanding Heaven, and I'll probably say "ok, your right"...

I understand I did not give an analogy on which the subject is impossible to learn, obviously because everything I know can be learned by man...
Please, fails on many levels? I'm sorry I'm far too daft for your great intellect. Pardon my intrustion on your converstion.
What possible notion draws you to conclude Heaven would it be easy to describe? Were talking a place outside of of our realm.

I say everything would be much easier if contenents were perfectly round. They should be round.

*sigh* theres no goal, thers no hidden agenda. Your question really makes no sense. Its like asking what is the goal of the physical plot of land we call Mexico.(not the govornment...) Ignore it, go there, look at it, whatever, your not going to change anything, theres still a chunk of land called Mexico.

of course
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MP, maybe you should explain why you think Heaven can't be understood by us mere mortals.

Note that GOAL and HIDDEN AGENDA are two very different things. I never suggested there was a hidden agenda, I said there was a GOAL.
 
Azzie said:
....lets just keep it as:

heaven: You want to go there.
hell: You dont want to go there.

Discussing temperatures of the air and humidity of the two places is rather unimportant in my opinion. The focus should be GETTING to the right place.

So...the answer to the original question: What is hell? Simply, a place you definitely do not want to go to.

Cheers. :D
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But WHY do I want to go there?

If heaven is a place where I will sit on a cloud all day strumming a harp, I think I'll pass.

You can't just say, Oh, it's a place you want to go, when you know in your heart and your mind that you have no clue what that place is like.
 
Genesis1315 said:
The meaining of paradise =
the upper regions of the heavens. According to the early church Fathers, the paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world
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What happens when you die?

Do you go to this heaven?

Where will Christ reign upon his return?

The heavens or on terra firma?
 
MP, maybe you should explain why you think Heaven can't be understood by us mere mortals.
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its really speculation due to personal things I observe through life:
its a place outside of our realm
Christ never says "Heaven is __"
When people have near death experiences they always see a tunnel/bright light, gain some "simple profound knowledge" that they lose when comming back. (I'm not totally sold on all the near death experience stories, but theres some value to them as people really have no motive to lie about them)
and the simple fact that we don't know what Heaven is leads me to believe our understanding is limited, and we can not know everything.
Note that GOAL and HIDDEN AGENDA are two very different things. I never suggested there was a hidden agenda, I said there was a GOAL.
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Ok, maybe I was too quick to call you out on it. Theres a difference between Christianity, and a Christian. Christianity exist just like the plot of land Mexico. If I had to give one goal of a Christian, it would be to educate people about Christ so they would know about who the Great God is, and what he has done.
So I guess as an individual, of course we all have goals. Goal of my Religion? -doesn't really make sense
 
Dark Virtue said:
THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF GOAL!
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:eek: Please calm down! I am simply saying, Heaven is our reward paid for by the Grace and Mercy of God, our ultimate goal is to please God. I am trying to make it perfectly clear that we are not working our way there.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
 
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Dark Virtue said:
If heaven is a place where I will sit on a cloud all day strumming a harp, I think I'll pass.
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We are on a downhill slide here.
Benny Hinn
Madeline Murray O'Hare
and now
Warner Brothers!
 
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