Why do Christians believe in a place of torment called Hell?

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Pilgrimshope

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Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
Isaiah 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.


Here the same concept. All sinners judged and consumed at the same time which cannot be anything other than the final judgement.


The punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23), which is also called the second death (Rev 20, 21), and that judgement/decision (also called damnation) is written to be eternal/everlasting (Mark 3:29, Hebrews 6:2).


Psalms 92:7 When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:


Some teach that God will not do as he says.


Psalms 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
Psalms 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psalms 37:19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
Psalms 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

Do they perish, consumed away in smoke or do they live forever in torture?? Scripture is clear!


Psalms 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.


Psalms 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.


Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
Isaiah 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Isaiah 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
Isaiah 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
Isaiah 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.



2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;



Hebrews 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


Jeremiah 6:27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
Jeremiah 6:28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
Jeremiah 6:29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Jeremiah 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

Why are they wicked?

Jeremiah 6:27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
Jeremiah 6:28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
Jeremiah 6:29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Jeremiah 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.



They are corrupt and God has rejected them.


Psalms 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
Psalms 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psalms 37:19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
Psalms 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.



The righteous ones will be saved but those unrighteous will be consumed away.


2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

They wouldn't receive the truth to be saved so they shall be destroyed!

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.


Those that had pleasure in unrighteousness and received not the truth shall perish and be damned.
I disagree and have already shown why
 

Ahwatukee

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Nothing there shows any eternal torment. The smoke of a short torment can rise forever in a symbolic way. Don't forget that Christ promised unsaved will not see life after judgment day so the unsaved will not be alive to suffer forever. Any torment they feel will be short term.
Then, you're blind! What do you think "forever and ever" means? As well as them having "no rest day or night?" These support conscious existence in torment. It is so straight forward that you have to circumvent the scripture in order to reject what it's saying. Have you lost your reasoning? If someone is tormented day and night, that person must exist in order to experience said torment.

How long will you people fight against the truth? Your reasoning is really getting ridiculous now!

Life = eternal existence in the kingdom of God

Death = eternal existence in separation from God in the lake of fire.

Life and death are both states of existence in relation to one's status with God.

Therefore, the unsaved will not see life, which means they will eternally exist in separation from God in the lake of fire. Death does not mean nonexistence.
 

Pilgrimshope

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1. the smoke ascends forever

2. doesn't say the day/night cycle lasts forever.

3. doesn't say the torment lasts forever
damnation -

“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Your saying they are resurrected judged and tormented for a time and thier smoke roses forever because they were tormented for a short time ? So the smoke rises forever ? And that seems like a good interpretation of this ?

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14:10-11‬ ‭

how do you fit this part in ? they have no rest day nor night,

is it because hey don’t exist anymore ? And their not being tormented ? So they have no rest not existing ????

I think sometimes we try to interpret what we think and reject wha the very plain

they have no rest day or night because they are on torment forever and ever.

it isn’t mans place to say God isn’t just he’s been warning us about hell since the Old Testament some go there because they refuse to hear the warning and believe

so why do they have no rest day or night ? Seems Like they are never consumed ….but I digress I’m going to live as if there is an eternal home for Satan and his children who will exist in darkness and flame seperate forever because of this

“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;

neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:26-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

we can I guess interpret things differently but it seems pretty clear to
Me ill Probably stick to what I perceive the scripture says. And trust in this resurrection

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I do , so I’m stuck with his interpretations I don’t thknk God is sending anyone to hell , I believe he’s been trying to save us from it since we turned away from him so he tells us the truth about it as a warning sometimes we can’t hear it yet though
 

Pilgrimshope

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Then, you're blind! What do you think "forever and ever" means? As well as them having "no rest day or night?" These support conscious existence in torment. It is so straight forward that you have to circumvent the scripture in order to reject what it's saying. Have you lost your reasoning? If someone is tormented day and night, that person must exist in order to experience said torment.

How long will you people fight against the truth? Your reasoning is really getting ridiculous now!

Life = eternal existence in the kingdom of God

Death = eternal existence in separation from God in the lake of fire.

Life and death are both states of existence in relation to one's status with God.

Therefore, the unsaved will not see life, which means they will eternally exist in separation from God in the lake of fire. Death does not mean nonexistence.
Amen to this , things changed with Christ. Some still look at solomons interpretation of death
 

ewq1938

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Oct 18, 2018
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As if being tormented in fire and brimstone forever is considered a life. It is worst than ceasing to exist.

They are still alive though and scripture says the unsaved will NOT have life. All doctrines need to adhere to what scripture says else a person can recognize a false doctrine.
 

ewq1938

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Oct 18, 2018
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I do , so I’m stuck with his interpretations I don’t thknk God is sending anyone to hell

All you are doing stacking one false doctrine upon another. Of course is sending people to hell, in fact it will be MOST people.

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
 
Mar 4, 2020
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damnation -

“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Your saying they are resurrected judged and tormented for a time and thier smoke roses forever because they were tormented for a short time ? So the smoke rises forever ? And that seems like a good interpretation of this ?

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14:10-11‬ ‭

how do you fit this part in ? they have no rest day nor night,

is it because hey don’t exist anymore ? And their not being tormented ? So they have no rest not existing ????

I think sometimes we try to interpret what we think and reject wha the very plain

they have no rest day or night because they are on torment forever and ever.

it isn’t mans place to say God isn’t just he’s been warning us about hell since the Old Testament some go there because they refuse to hear the warning and believe

so why do they have no rest day or night ? Seems Like they are never consumed ….but I digress I’m going to live as if there is an eternal home for Satan and his children who will exist in darkness and flame seperate forever because of this

“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;

neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:26-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

we can I guess interpret things differently but it seems pretty clear to
Me ill Probably stick to what I perceive the scripture says. And trust in this resurrection

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I do , so I’m stuck with his interpretations I don’t thknk God is sending anyone to hell , I believe he’s been trying to save us from it since we turned away from him so he tells us the truth about it as a warning sometimes we can’t hear it yet though
The word damnation doesn't mean eternal torment. That word damnation in John 5:29 means a judgment:

2920. krisis
Strong's Concordance
krisis: a decision, judgment
Original Word: κρίσις, εως, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: krisis
Phonetic Spelling: (kree'-sis)
Definition: a decision, judgment
Usage: judging, judgment, decision, sentence; generally: divine judgment; accusation.

Drop the assumptions and perceptions and stick with what the scriptures say.
 

ewq1938

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Oct 18, 2018
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The word damnation doesn't mean eternal torment. That word damnation in John 5:29 means a judgment:
.
Yep and that decision is to sentence the person to death for eternity. Of course, why bother with the actual true definition of a when you can make up your own definition and make a whole new doctrine that Christ did not teach :)
 
Mar 4, 2020
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Yep and that decision is to sentence the person to death for eternity. Of course, why bother with the actual true definition of a when you can make up your own definition and make a whole new doctrine that Christ did not teach :)
A lot of that just has to do with being taught eternal torment is a sound doctrine. At one point I believed in eternal torment, too, then I just studied the scriptures about it.

There is no language in the Bible that says everyone goes to hell and gets tormented forever.

Do people go to hell? Yes.
Is hell painful? Yes.
Do people perish in hell? Yes.
Are they destroyed in hell? Yes.
Do they die in hell? Yes.
 

awelight

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I forget where did Joseph name Jesus Emmanuel ??? I agree Jesus is God. I just don't see the Father of Jesus naming him Emmanuel.
Joseph never did use that name. Immanuel, only appears three times in Scripture. (Emmanuel in the Greek). Found in Isa. 7:14, 8:8 and Mat. 1:23. The prophet Isaiah uses this name, meaning "God with us", in the sense that it is an attribute of the Son and not to be understood as a proper name. Joseph of course named him Jesus. Jesus was both God and man. Having both a Divine nature and a human nature. So Jesus was God and he was Immanuel, God with us.
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
And just as the spirits of the wicked are conscious and aware after the first death, so will they also be conscious and aware in the second death. Otherwise, if we were to use your reasoning, after the first death people should become nonexistent.

The event of the rich man and Lazarus is a good example of this: Both the rich man and Lazarus died, yet their spirits were down in Hades. The rich man could see Abraham, had a conversation with him and was in torment in the flames. However, those who believe in annihilation distort and circumvent this scripture by making it a parable in order to get rid of the information contained in it.

Second Death = Conscious eternal existence in separation from God in the lake of fire
Jesus preached to the dead. Even now, many people who have died, such as the Holocaust victims or people who live in places where the Bible is/was banned, do not know the Gospel. Obviously one cannot say what Jesus will do in the future, but He has shown that He can preach to the dead.
 

Ahwatukee

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Jesus preached to the dead. Even now, many people who have died, such as the Holocaust victims or people who live in places where the Bible is/was banned, do not know the Gospel. Obviously one cannot say what Jesus will do in the future, but He has shown that He can preach to the dead.
Jesus didn't preach salvation to those spirits in Hades who died in the flood. Once a person dies their record is sealed (see Luke 16:19-31). There is no offer of salvation after death.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
 

SupahKent

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Please explain without scripture (because I know the verses well) ...explain by your experience and relationship with God what he revealed to you about this.
What you're asking is of a very dangerous nature. You should never rely on someone's personal experiences as a form of truth. Only what God says on a matter is what we should trust. Seeing as how you "know the verses well", you already have the answer you seek. Or perhaps this is not so?

Simply put, God is just. This is why those who do not obey Him will not enter into His kingdom. Christ states this in Matthew 7:21. Although it pains us to lose someone dear to us, especially more so for those of us desperately wanting them to know and obey Christ before the end of their physical being so that they may enter into the kingdom, God is still just and stands by His Word. You may not understand how a "loving God" can punish in this way, but do not be fooled, with justice also comes mercy. God has extended to every soul on this Earth His mercy. If someone dies in their sin, it is on them and justice must be served. This is the righteousness of God. A Holy God is holy in the way justice is served. None are without excuse. Sin is a choice.

Personally, I believe a good portion of people do not understand this because they allow their emotions to influence how they perceive the Word of God rather than take God at His Word. If God says He is just in His ways, believe that. There is nothing we can say or do to change this fact about the very nature of Who the Almighty is. Is not His ways and thoughts higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9)?

Have we not learned by now that this God we serve is firm in His Word? Sure, we may not fully comprehend or even agree with how God handles certain things pertaining to His creation, but you can be sure that what He says goes. I think the sooner we accept this, the easier it is for us to come to a place of complete surrender.
 

Evmur

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Forgive me, as I may be reading your post wrong. I agree with everything else you wrote, but why would the millennial teaching set you free from believing that millions and millions of human souls will spend eternity in hell? Who are the millions and millions that you were referring to?
Well if the next coming of Christ is to raise everybody unto judgement as in the Great White Throne judgement the sheeps on the right hand are christians and the goats on the left are everybody else i.e. BILLIONS of human souls.

But the next coming of our Lord is to destroy that wicked, put away sin and to take us home. He will then set up the kingdom of heaven ON EARTH and will reign through the now converted Jews. Therefore ...

... therefore the second and general resurrection spoken about in Matthew and Revs cannot feature either the church who have been reigning with Him from heaven for a 1, 000 years or yet the Jews who have been reigning with Him on earth.

The sheep on His right hand do not represent the church or the Jews, that group who the Lord refers to "as these My brethren" are the church. As Paul teaches God will bring us with Him when He comes to judge.

Yet these sheeps do receive an inheritance. They will inherit the earth.

The goats represent the wicked and they are a decided minority.
 
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Personally, I believe a good portion of people do not understand this because they allow their emotions to influence how they perceive the Word of God rather than take God at His Word. If God says He is just in His ways, believe that. There is nothing we can say or do to change this fact about the very nature of Who the Almighty is. Is not His ways and thoughts higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9)?
I don't really have a horse in the race when it comes to what the Bible says. If the Bible says it then that's good enough for me. No use striving against the inevitable because our emotions and opinions hold absolutely zero effect to change God's word.

I think there is also a high likelihood that people are indoctrinated into denominational loyalty, confusing the truth of God's word for doctrines of men. It is very easy to begin seeing the Bible through a kind of lens, or filter, that only confirms the biases we're seeking to validate.

People should examine themselves intensely, beginning at the most elementary teachings of Christ to the solid meat of the Word, studying the scriptures, to see if what they believe is true. Do not fall into a pride trap, thinking your interpretation is infallible, really examine where you stand and be prepared to humbly admit when you've failed to be a good steward of His Word.

That being said, look closely at the doctrine of eternal torment for all sinners. Words have meaning, language matters, God does not make mistakes.

It is not an accident the Bible teaches that those who are not in Christ will perish, be destroyed, and experience death.

Short list: John 3:16, Matthew 10:28, Revelation 20:14
 

TheLearner

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Annihilationism is from bible. There is no older source than that. Eternal torture is the recent, novel doctrine.

John_3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

"shall not see life" means will not be alive.


Universalism -all people (saved and unsaved) will see life in the New Heaven and new Earth for all eternity--FALSE DOCTRINE
Eternal torment -all unsaved people will see life in torment (lake of fire) for all eternity--FALSE DOCTRINE
Annihilationism - all unsaved people will not see life as Christ said.--TRUE DOCTRINE

Only Annihilation matches what Christ taught in John_3:36.
I already gave dozens of quotes by early christians proving eternal torment. You because of your own opinion refuse to accept historical sources.

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120121.htm
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0102.htm
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103527.htm
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0127.htm
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360309.htm

"Traditionalists respond that only God is qualified to determine what is truly just, and raise suspicions that annihilationists may be succumbing to modern cultural pressures. The argument does go both ways, however. A common response to the idea of annihilation is that God is infinitely holy and therefore demands infinite conscious punishment. "
https://www.theopedia.com/annihilationism

"Today many traditionalists claim that the doctrine is most often associated with groups descended from William Miller and the Adventist movement of the mid-1800s, including Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other Adventist groups. However, a number of evangelical theologians, including Anglican John Stott, Church of Christ elder Edward Fudge, Open Theists Clark Pinnock and John Sanders, as well as Philip Edgecombe Hughes and others have offered support for the doctrine, touching off a heated debate within mainstream evangelical Christianity. " https://www.theopedia.com/annihilationism

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07207a.htm
 

TheLearner

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Jan 14, 2019
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Annihilationism is from bible. There is no older source than that. Eternal torture is the recent, novel doctrine.

John_3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

"shall not see life" means will not be alive.


Universalism -all people (saved and unsaved) will see life in the New Heaven and new Earth for all eternity--FALSE DOCTRINE
Eternal torment -all unsaved people will see life in torment (lake of fire) for all eternity--FALSE DOCTRINE
Annihilationism - all unsaved people will not see life as Christ said.--TRUE DOCTRINE

Only Annihilation matches what Christ taught in John_3:36.
"Annihilationism is from bible "

That is just your opinion nothing more.

History clearly shows that early christians believed in eternal punishment. Greek Scholars clearly understand the grammar of the NT as teaching eternal punishment. I have already published these things. Because they disagree with your opinion you reject them.