Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

?
Lv 7

Christians; please tell me how you feel about the following quote?

"If we hold to the belief in an eternal hell, we also hold to the belief that God's power is not powerful enough to rid the new heavens and new earth of wickedness and evil completely." (Razing Hell, Sharon L. Baker)

I've always wondered about this. How can there be no more sorrow or sighing and no more tears, pain, etc., if the damned are forever and ever experiencing conscious torment? And how can something like this be part of the "all things" that are summed up in Christ?

Update:

It makes me feel sad, too, Latino -- but also puzzled. Because Revelation doesn't indicate that there are no more tears in the new heaven and the new earth. It says there are no more tears. Period.

And that all things are summed up/brought together in Christ. How can a hell full of billions upon billions of hopeless, tormented souls be in Christ?

As for the KJV, I have to say I prefer the Greek though I have to rely on reference materials to take advantage of it.

Update 2:

Dr. Bob, you know I love you, brother. And the ironic thing is that I would have said almost word for word what you're saying here . . . a week ago. Now I'm not so sure. There are good, logical, not-stretching and non-twisting arguments that answer all of these points. I didn't think there could be, but I was wrong. I'm always asking God to correct me where I'm wrong and show me the truth. I want the TRUTH whether or not it agrees with any doctrine I've ever held dear and whether I like it or it makes me sad.

For probably the last year or a little less I've been convinced that annihilation was the truth, but for some reason it came into my head/heart to ask a couple of questions and I think perhaps I may have stumbled into another rabbit hole. I have vowed to always take the red pill, but I'm not sure what I'm going to see when it takes effect this time.

Update 3:

Evangelist, you are correct -- I should have looked it up instead of relying on memory. My apologies. But the question still stands and so far no one has attempted to answer my second statement, though I've repeated it in stronger terms. How could hell, populated by the damned, be included in Christ?

Update 4:

Hey, Dr. Bob! Thanks for responding; apparently I don't get an update when someone edits, so I'm glad I looked. My thoughts aren't to call Jesus a liar -- never! But translation is never an exact art. The doctrine of hell was thoroughly entrenched by the time anyone ever translated the bible into modern English, and it's impossible not to let our filters influence us.

No, what I want is to make absolutely certain that I'm reading Jesus correctly and interpreting what He says correctly. Besides eternal conscious torment, there are two viable alternatives, neither of which do violence to scripture (and it would take too long to detail why): That the flames of hell destroy and that death is death. That is, that the wicked dead suffer the punishment appropriate and then are no more. Or, the alternative I'm now studying: That the wicked dead suffer in hell until they pay the uttermost farthing, as George MacDonald has put it, and then begin to be able to repent. If you study the OT, you s

Update 5:

you see that God inflicts rather horrible punishments on Israel for her unfaithfulness, and that His motive is to bring the people to repentance. And it works. Post Babylon, Israel never worshiped idols more. They did fall into other errors, of course, but that is another matter. God is patient and doesn't give up on us. (Good thing)

Historically, it appears that any of these three viewpoints were considered acceptable in the early church, so I guess they weren't absolutely positive either. If following Jesus is about avoiding hell, then I suppose one might conclude: "I'll only suffer for a finite time and then I'll repent, so it doesn't matter." But Jesus is indescribable. There are not enough words. The reason for turning to Jesus is Jesus Himself, not the fear of hell.

Update 6:

2FollowHim, thanks for your thoughtful answer. I wish you and I and Snowbird and Dr. Bob and everyone else who's answered (except the farting man!) were sitting around the living room and discussing this. It would be nice to see everyone and share openly and easily.

My question wasn't at all about doubting or judging God. I should have made that clearer. I agree that mankind is depraved and fallen and unable to save himself. Otherwise, Jesus' death would be a meaningless act of violence, but He came to seek and save the lost. No, my question is more about translations and our doctrines and whether or not they agree with the bible -- really agree with the original language and original intent and most of all the voice of God's Spirit speaking to us in the written and living word.

We have invented so many of our own doctrines, and since most of us have been taught them from childhood, it's sometimes hard to discern what is the truth of God and what is time-honored (but mistaken) tradi

Update 7:

(but mistaken) tradition. That is the basis for my question. Have we interpreted God correctly in this matter or have we (and our translators) allowed ourselves to be misled?

Update 8:

Snowbird, Thanks so much for taking the time to answer this! I wonder whether you may not have posted the wrong reference for Col 2:11-13? It doesn't seem to apply unless I'm missing something. Here is one of the references I was thinking of:

and through him to reconcile the all things to himself--having made peace through the blood of his cross--through him, whether the things upon the earth, whether the things in the heavens. (Colossians 1:20 YLT) That word "reconcile" means, I'm told, to bring together into one. Note that things under the earth aren't mentioned (as they are elsewhere), and some commentators feel this means that fallen angels and unrepentant men aren't included. I'm not sure that works for me. Does that mean that Christ WON'T be all in all? I wonder if they don't have to be either destroyed or reconciled.

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with your picture of the lake of fire being the second death and the destruction of evil (after which it is no more). I haven't h

Update 9:

heard that idea before and I'll have to look into it. It could be right. What I can't find reasonable is that in God's renewed creation there will be any space, however small, for evil to exist. Nor that God would be unjust in any way. This is what I'm struggling to understand. I'm not judging God -- just trying to know Him for who He truly is, and whoever He is and whatever He does I do know that He is good and that if we understand as He does, we will agree.

17 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    As I understand it Cindy, the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone is the SECOND death (Revelation 21:8) and that is spiritual death. All demons are spirits and so are all human beings because we are spirits who have a soul and live in a body, so if the body and soul (mind, will, emotions) are in the grave (first physical death) and the spirit is in Hades for a while but then death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire which is the second death (Rev 20:14), the wicked obviously won't exist anymore after that will they?

    There won't be any evil in Christ. The only ones who will be in Christ are Christians, because He is the Head and we are His body. We are circumcised INTO Christ during our water baptism (God does this for us, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ when we are buried with Him in baptism etc. God does it without hands, in the heart, in the Spirit. It's all in Colossians 2:11-13 and Romans 6:3-7 and Romans 2: 28 & 29 when we become Jews inwardly in circumcision of the heart, in the Spirit). We are not only one Spirit with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17) but we are also members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30). We are married to Christ, one flesh with Him etc.

    Those who have rejected Christ are not IN HIM and never will be. Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6) and those who deny Christ do not have the Father either (1 John 2:23).

    Jesus Knows those who are His and it's those who name the Name of Christ and depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19)

    In repentance and water baptism, Jesus Himself comes and washes us from our sins in His own blood (Rev 1:5) and that's why we can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit because we have had a washing INSIDE and been made clean, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, holy and without blemish etc. (Ephesians 5: 26 & 27) and had our sins remitted, which is what baptism is for (Mark 1:4, Acts 2:38). God actually crucifies for us, our old man (our old Adamic sin nature in baptism Romans 6:6) when the body of sin is done away with so that we are no longer slaves of sin (Romans 6:6), so we are sanctified and cleansed in baptism (Ephesians 5: 26)

    Once we have the Holy Spirit, we are not in the flesh any longer, but we are in the Spirit if He dwells in us, but if we do not have the Spirit of Christ, we are none of His (Romans 8:9).

    Cindy I was using Col 2: 11-13 to show there won't be any evil IN Christ because when we are baptized INTO HIM God circumcises us without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of our flesh through Christ's circumcision etc (Col 2:11-13). We are cleansed by Him Rev 1:5 FIRST before we are circumcised INTO HIS BODY After Rev 20:14, death and Hades are cast into fire so no evil will exist after that. Did you receive my e-mail?

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    I do believe in the material in this site:

    http://www.angelfall.com/

    so that no one is so innocent as they appear here, that sins have been

    the way people have wanted to go for a very long time, and so much

    ugliness in the heart that we will never know about.

    I don't know about others, but I find I don't even watch very closely

    when people talk, or make their moves. I've started watching more

    and thus seeing more. I'll try to explain this if I can. A family came in

    for counseling, if I remember there was the mother, father, son and

    daughter. They were having problems. With their consent, the

    session was video-taped so the psychologist could look at it

    again later.

    Well, something got his attention right at the beginning, he

    wasn't sure what, so he slowed down the video, and saw more,

    and slowed it down more, and really saw more. This was written

    up in a report that showed the family dynamics that everything was

    controlled by just the slightest movements. No one was free.

    The kids 'dare not' say stuff, yet if the video was not slowed down,

    you'd miss this. The article said that this control was instant even

    to where to sit, control began.

    We miss it all. We miss sin basically, and we miss how people hurt,

    maim and kill each other every day. 'A pain in the neck', 'you're killing me'

    and on it goes. Jesus said this is happening. 'If a man LOOKS on a woman

    with LUST in his heart, he has already commited adultery with her', and

    have you ever had a man eye-rape you? There's a crude term which

    we all know 'eye-f**king' and it happens. It's unclean. Only fire

    cleans things up.

    I trust the Lord completely, and surely do not trust people. Liars,

    deceivers. And some very nice people sometimes, if this suits them.

    I understand this also. I know what I am, not so nice.

    I trust just Jehovah. He knows, I don't.

    We read in Revelations how the saints cried out 'how much longer?'

    and I hear their pain. And they are told, 'yet a little while until

    your brethren are KILLED'. Know why that is?

    Think judgment. Think that people's nature must be shown

    for that judgment. We have just no idea how ugly it all is,

    and how it would utterly destroy us if the Holy Spirit did not

    protect us.

    I don't purport to understand everything, nor do I have to since

    I've handed all that over to God who does know. Nor will I judge

    God. (and find Him wanting?...heaven forbid).

    In the meantime, I want to work out my 'own salvation' with

    'fear and trembling' because the more I see, the more I see that

    we are only saved 'with great difficulty'. Not because God is

    so mean, but that satan and his group are so legalistic,

    and catch every single wrong thing we do and hold this

    against us.

  • 10 years ago

    responding to your answer @ latino - the bible does say no tears in the new heaven & earth

    Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

    verse 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

    Regarding your original question the devil is a liar - God IS God and does what he wants - that little word "if" leaves room for doubt - there will be no sin, no wickedness, no evil in the new heaven & earth.

    I hold to what God says - not some quote that contradicts the Bible

    Edit: I'm glad you are seeking the truth about God & His word - this is something most desire to do.

    If it's in the Bible, I believe what it says. Still not quite sure what you are asking (sorry :( --) The people who *do not* repent for their sins and ask forgiveness, turn from it will spend eternity in the lake of fire - there is not second chance once we die - that's it. Our chance is now while we are yet alive.

    Matthew 25:41 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:

    46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

    These are the scriptures about the second death:

    Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

    6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

    Revelation 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.

    Those that die "in Christ" will have eternal life

    Source(s): KJV Bible
  • 10 years ago

    There is no Eternal Hell..Hell means grave in Greek where we get our translation from in the New Testament. Lake of fire will burn UP sin, and that will be the end of that. God is right---there will be no more tears, or sorrow, or suffering in the New Heavens and the New Earth and this is His Promise. Immortality only goes to the Saved...not the wicket in some hot hiding place.

    Our God does not torture. We have believed a lie of Satan who has done his best to smear the Holy Name of Jesus Christ and His beloved Father, and distorted the Teachings of the Holy Spirit. If we were as literate in the Bible as we are in our Self, we would know Genesis to Revelation and Know the advisory of the world so well that not one of his lies would ever be considered True of Our Saviour and God of the Universe.

    He is Love so with that definition how can any one think that He would spend eternity searing the Flesh or what ever burns after that to His Creation that He sent His son to die for. We are either Saved and share a Glorious life with The Creator of all in a New Heavens and a New Earth, in the way it should of been with out an oz. of Sin anywhere and,

    for the ones who just, "with free choice", did not choose to spend eternity with the Creator will be as IF THEY NEVER WHERE. Any less of a thought of this for a Loving God is Blasphemy....and is exactly what Satan has wanted you to believer for the Years that this Earth has been in Existence....He has been around in evilness in the Garden and is still here doing his lies. Please spend your life in Learning of God equally as you do in self Pleasure......so the TRUTH WILL ABOUND.

    Source(s): KJV
  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • hmmm
    Lv 5
    10 years ago

    First, if God did away with evil on the earth not a single human would be alive. There's not a single person who doesn't lie, steal, covet, sexually pure, angry, etc. It only takes one time for a criminal to be caught and, if convicted, he/she is a criminal for life. God knows all things so don't think anyone will escape. God lets people choose how they will approach Him. Will it be with Jesus Christ as our advocate if we put our trust in him or on our own merit (not good)?

    Second, the no more sorrow, tears, pain, etc promise is not for the unbelievers.

    Rev 21: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

    Heaven and hell were God's idea. People can use their imagination but there is only one standard by which truth will be applied. It's not mine or yours.

  • Lowly
    Lv 7
    10 years ago

    I feel that Jesus could deal with the reality of hell;, the reality of death; the reality of the wrath of God against sin. That is good enough for me. Many like to fantasize away a literal hell, but they do so at great risk. The gospel, or good news is that Jesus came to save us from hell, not to send us there if we mess up.

    Most of the teaching and preaching of Jesus were concerned with hell, and with money. Maybe there is some connection there...hmmm.

  • 10 years ago

    I disagree with the quote. The conclusion doesn't follow from the premise.

    I'm convinced that God doesn't want a semblance of love. You wouldn't be happy having an obsequious servant always fawning over you with fake admiration. How much more complex is God than you? If you can't be pleased with false love, God can't either.

    Thus, it only makes sense that God allows those who don't love him to make that choice. He doesn't force them to love him. Your quote implies that God must force those who want to reject God to instead love him, or he's not loving or not powerful.

    I think to a great extent, hell must be self-perpetuating. Infinite punishment for finite sin does not appear to be just; however, to the extent that the person in hell continues to hate God, their sin continues infinitely and thus their punishment continues. You've seen here in Answers that there are many who say that even if they had proof of God's existence they still wouldn't worship him. I don't think that attitude of rebellion evaporates ...

    =====

    I understand what you're saying, but as "God is My Salvation" points out, Jesus was pretty unambiguous about hell and its reality.

    I don't like the idea of hell, but it would be foolish of me to call Jesus a liar over it, and worse to make the claim (as many do) that it's not eternal and thus not worth worrying about. I think that regardless of what the truth is, annihilation can't be the answer.

  • 10 years ago

    How so. this is exactly God ridding the heavens and the earth of wickedness. Einstein says as long as men exist so will war. Men are evil. they can choose to give their lives to God or they can choose to live evil. u can choose to heed ur parents advice to look both ways or you can be smashed by a car....it is always your choice.

  • 10 years ago

    its not true

    jesus said hell was real jesus says it is forever

    KJV: Revelation of John Chapter 14

    [10] 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:

    [11] 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.

    god is a just god

    the wicked will be punished for their evil

  • KLD
    Lv 4
    10 years ago

    The new heavens and new earth is symbolical of heaven itself. All the "no more[s]" refers to the victorious saints in the heavenly abode. "for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new..." (Rev. 21:4b-5a).

    Source(s): The Bible
Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.