Hell, Tartarus, Hades... Let's think about this.

[Justinian]

So, I've recently been on a binge to read about Hell in it's different versions throughout different religions. Now maybe someone can help shed a little light on my perplexing dilema.

First off, this is all under the assumption that Heaven/Hell, God/invisible man, are real. So let's go with that basis.

So here's the thing. In some other religions I get the concept. There is a god of some sort that just loves punishing people so if you're bad in life you go there and get punished or something bad happens to you, bla bla bla.

But, in the Xian version... The story as I understand it goes a little something like this, summed up of course. Satan pisses off God, so God creates this lavish place of torment for Satan to rule over. With the condition that he can collect the sinners of the Earth for an eventual winner take all battle that God already knows he's going to win.

Now because Satan hates us, I can see just wanting to collect souls and torture us, I get it. What I don't get is.. If your end goal is to ultimately collect enough souls that you want to help you defeat the army of heaven, why not make it a nice place? I mean he should be wanting a really big army so that his chances go up right? I know according to what sins are, that he won't be in short supply. But the thing is.. people are telling stories of what it's like there from NDE's and visions. So why not make it a big party? The Persians had their Hashisians(Root word of Assassin), and they wanted them to do something bad, so they'd give them anything they wanted in the world for 24hrs and then the next day it was.. Okay, we held up our end, go hold up yours. Why doesn't the great Satan want to do something similar? I mean is the thing that stupid? Anyone? Anybody?

 

[TnWatchdog]

I always thought the devil was a deceiver that promised what the people wanted in this world and in return they would agree to follow him. Deception can be so strong at a time of weakness. If I could just get this promotion, if I could become a famous musician, if I could, if I could, etc...etc. He can promise you anything but once you agree, your screwed! You won't be tip toeing thru the tulips...it will be hot coals for you. I wouldn't be surprised if the devil says that God was wrong and he has the paradise waiting...Seven virgins from hell await you! The devil knows he is a loser and wants to take as many down with him as he can...just like a fallen dictator.
Always remember, a loser is always a loser...and the devil is one hell of a loser!

 

[Justinian]

Okay I get that, but you still have that kicker of being tortured for eternity after you die. So that's going to keep people from signing on with him. So why not just say.. hey.. I don't care what you do on Earth, live it up do drugs, party, whatever.. then come down with me and we'll continue the party in the afterlife. I understand the whole reason for creating hell in the first place is to keep people from thinking like this.. but that's what makes the most sense to me.

 

[TnWatchdog]

Okay I get that, but you still have that kicker of being tortured for eternity after you die. So that's going to keep people from signing on with him. So why not just say.. hey.. I don't care what you do on Earth, live it up do drugs, party, whatever.. then come down with me and we'll continue the party in the afterlife. I understand the whole reason for creating hell in the first place is to keep people from thinking like this.. but that's what makes the most sense to me.

Maybe the devil explains that yes the "hell" hell is for the lost souls that failed God and sinned, God's place for "them." Now if you follow me, the devil, you can go into our party room and we will have one hell of a party while God's hell is a burning. He may show these people a false vision or illusion of what hell would be for them, paradise. (This is what God doesn't want you to have, unlike me, your friend) I don't know if this makes sense as it just came to me. It will be interesting as other members weigh in...Great topic!

 

[kcwildman]

not that this will answer any questions or explain any thing to anyone ok.......
but I chased myself around this topic for a few years, and never came to terms with a reason for hell or sending anyone there...
when a battle is fought for controll or power the loser is the one who ends up dead...
how ,why. is it that the devil was aloud to remain alive??? and then turned loose on those who were least prepaird to deal with him???
that to me is like putting a rattle snake in the playpen with your six month old child...
to me only a sick and twisted person wants to torment someone for ever .....
to me only a sick and twisted person would condem the children of some one for what there parents did.....
lastly why are we all not first given the same chance as Adam,Eve ,,IE be brought into life as a prefect being clothed with the glory of GOD, placed in the same garden.. told to be good and make lots of babies.... instead of being told from birth we are bad and will suffer for the mistakes of a long distant grandparent ending our life with the decaying of our body to the point of death... weather we chose to serve GOD or not we will all have the same fate..we will all get old and crippled then die......


like I said at the first this will not answer any questions or explain anything to anyone, but is just the circle I chased myself in for a few years

 

[Samstwitch]

God created Hell for Satan after he became a fallen angel. Hell was created ages before mankind. God never intented Hell to be a place for people.

When God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect and they lived with God in Paradise. But they were tempted by Satan in the Garden and disobeyed God by eating from the one tree that was forbidden, and they fell into sin. They had to be banished to earth (earth is part of Satan's domain), because they could not remain in the presence of God with sin on their souls. When they lived their lives on earth and died, their souls automatically went to Hell. We on earth are all descendants of Adam and Eve. (We are also all God's children, His creation.)

Everyone on earth sins...and they are predestined to go to Hell, because of having sin. But that is the most horrible place of all.

God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to earth (born as a child), to pay the price of sin. Jesus was the only man who ever was or ever will be sinless on this earth. He was tortured and crucified...Jesus died and descended into Hell, and because He was without sin, He was able to open the gates of Hell and bring the souls up out of Hell and led them to Heaven. Jesus has full dominion over Satan because of dying sinless on the cross. That's why He was able to open the gates of hell, rise from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. He is King of kings, and Lord of lords.

That is why we must believe in Jesus as our Lord inorder to avoid going to Hell. As I said, God did not create Hell for mankind, but when Adam and Eve committed the first sin, they condemned mankind to Hell by the act of sinning. However, God had a plan and He sent His only Son to redeem us, to save us so that we can return to Him in Heaven.

Realize that we are all God's children. Satan hates God, therefore he hates mankind. So Satan does everything he can to lead God's children into Hell and when they get there, they are tormented for eternity. This is Satan's revenge at God for sending him to Hell. Satan loves watching lost souls being constantly tortured in Hell, because it hurts God (and Jesus).

God does not want us to suffer in Hell. We are his children.

IF YOU ARE A PARENT...you do not want your children to be hurt or suffer. That's how God feels about us, only much stronger, because He created us. That's why He sent Jesus to save us from Hell.

I'm not preaching. These are the facts as taught in the Bible.

If you want to know more about Jesus' descent into Hell, read the Apocrypha, The Gospel of Nicodemus (click link to read it), which can be found with other Apocryphas in The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden. These are Apocryphas, other books that were not included in the Bible, and they go into much detail about many events that are spoken of in the Bible (Old and New Testaments). I regard many of these Apocryphas as highly as I do the Bible itself. The Catholic Church also teaches from some of these Apocryphas in Catechism.

I hope this information has been helpful. (For others, I'm not here to debate the validity of the Apocryphas. The history of them is included in each section of The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden. They are a companion to the Bible, and do not contradict anything in the Bible.)

 

[Samstwitch]

THE FINAL BATTLE...will actually be between Jesus and Satan. Yes, Jesus will come with His army, but the mere presence of Christ will defeat Satan. That's what scripture says. The Lord will cast Satan in the bottomless pit and lock him up there for 1,000 years. After 1,000 years pass, Satan will be loosed for 'a season' upon the people one final time...and then Jesus will throw Satan into the Lake of Fire where he will be tormented forever and ever.

 

[Octavusprime]

Wait, so Jesus died without sinning, he never fought back, never used violence and now he is going to lead an army into the ultimate battle as the general of gods army? Something doesn't make sense there...

 

[Samstwitch]

Wait, so Jesus died without sinning, he never fought back, never used violence and now he is going to lead an army into the ultimate battle as the general of gods army? Something doesn't make sense there...

That's right...Jesus was the Sacrificial Lamb who was without blemish, Jesus was sinless, and He laid down His life, paid the ultimate price for our sins by allowing Himself to be tortured and crucified for us. Because of His great sacrifice, Jesus is now the King of Heaven. He has power over everything in Heaven, Earth, and Hades. Jesus will be returning at the Battle of Armageddon to do battle with Satan, who will be incarnated in the antichrist.

For more detailed answers, read the New Testament.

 

[Octavusprime]

I understand all of that. It is just extremely inconsistent and hypocritical to denounce violence in one incarnation and to go to war in the next.