The Origin of Hell-Fire in Christian Teaching
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The concept of a soul within us that cannot die first became a ‘Christian’ doctrine at the end of the second century AD. Hell had been taught in Greek philosophy long before the time of Jesus, with Plato (427-347 BC) as the important leader in this thinking.
The teaching of an everlasting place of punishment for the wicked is the natural consequence of a belief in an immortal soul. By the year AD 187, it was understood that life, once we have it, is compulsory; there is no end to it, either now or in a world to come. We have no choice as to its continuance, even if we were to commit suicide to end it.
At the end of the 2nd century Christianity had begun to blend Greek philosophy —human speculative reasoning, with the teachings of God’s Word. Such words and phrases as ‘continuance of being’, ‘perpetual existence’, ‘incapable of dissolution’ and ‘incorruptible’ began to appear in so-called Christian writings. These had come straight from Plato, the Greek philosopher, all those years before Jesus. Other phrases used were ‘the soul to remain by itself immortal’, and ‘an immortal nature’. It was taught that this is how God made us. But this idea derives from philosophy, not divine inspiration. There are no such words in the Bible. It was Athenagorus, a Christian, but whose teachings, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, were strongly tinged with Platonism, who had introduced the teaching of an immortal soul into Christianity. In this way, he paved the way for the logical introduction of eternal torment for immortal, but sinful, souls. This was a hundred years and more after the time of the apostles, and came straight from popular philosophy. The apostles had consistently taught that death is a sleep, to be followed by resurrection. The early church leaders – Clement, Ignatius, Hermas, Polycarp, and others who also believed that death is a sleep, taught that the wicked are destroyed forever by fire – their punishment was to be annihilation. These leaders did not teach of an immortal soul to be tortured by fire in hell for eternity.
About AD 240 Tertullian of Carthage took up the teaching of an immortal soul. It was he who added the further, but logical dimension. He taught the endless torment of the immortal soul of the wicked was parallel to the eternal blessedness of the saved, with no sleep of death after this life.
This came at a time when many Christians were being burned for their faith and it was natural for them to accept that their persecutors would at death be consigned to an ever-burning hell for the persecution they had inflicted on others while they went straight to eternal bliss.
From the third century the darkness of the infiltration of man-made beliefs into Christianity deepened until the Dark Ages had smothered almost all the light of God’s Word. At the beginning of this time, the first attempts were made to create a systematic set of beliefs. It is not surprising that an ever-burning hell and the immortality of the soul were prominently included.
It is at this time that such beliefs, held by most Christians today, had their origin. An ever-burning hell has remained a commonly taught doctrine of the Christian religion to this day. It was not based on the Bible but on philosophy. Bible verses were later sought to uphold the ancient philosophies of the Greeks, and added to the teaching.
Eventually under the influence of Augustine, AD 430, the concept of endless conscious torment was brought into general acceptance by the Catholic Church in the Western world. He taught that all souls were deathless and consequently the lost would experience endless fires of punishment, immediately upon the end of this life.
Purgatory and places of purification.
Other pagan philosophers, along with some of the poets of the day, were repulsed by the immorality of this teaching, and developed the idea of a place where the fleshly body was purified by fire but, at the completion of purification, would find release. It was a middle way between heaven and hell. This concept had its origin in Persian teaching. From there it passed to certain Jewish groups, and later was taken into Christian thought and teaching.
It arose out of the Gnostic idea that the body, flesh and matter, is inherently evil and must be purified and purged by fire elsewhere. But we know bodies can be exhumed for examination, so it cannot be true that the flesh goes elsewhere.
A similar view was held in Egypt, with prayers and services for the dead and payments made to priests for them to intercede for the dead. The idea of a place like purgatory did not have its beginnings in the Christian church, but in ancient pagan religions. The foundations had been established by Augustine’s teaching of eternal hell. Purgatory was added, and later fully confirmed by Pope Gregory the Great, about 582. Purgatory could not be supported by the standard canon of the Bible and it was the books of the Apocrypha that were used to justify this new idea.
A similar teaching appeared in Moslem and Jewish belief. The inhabitants of the world were seen as good, bad and ‘middling’. It was believed that, if one died with curable offences, these would be purified by pain and torment as a preparation for heavenly bliss. By 1439 the teaching of purgatory, with services and prayers for the dead, to spare them years of this pain, was fully accepted in the Western Catholic world – Italy, Spain, England, France, and was ratified by Pope Eugenius IV. It was not known or taught in Eastern Christianity, which was not influenced by Rome.
It is sometimes taught that even the righteous go to such a place for a lesser time so that the stains of sin can be burned from them, and this can be greatly hastened if certain exercises are undertaken. At the end of this time any that are incorrigible are sent to hell forever and the righteous go to a place of eternal blessedness.
Heaven and hell are seen to be existing together side by side forever and ever. This means that Jesus the Saviour can never see an end of the sin and misery He came to die for. Any teaching of the eternal co-existence of evil and good is not in the Bible, but is a teaching from Greek philosophy.
The Waldenses who had fled to the mountains to remain free from the heresies that were developing in the Catholic Church and also to escape persecution, taught the sleep of death and instant destruction by fire at the resurrection of the wicked. Their persecuting inquisitors reported that they entirely rejected the teaching of purgatory. The Cathari and the Hussites also rejected hell, thus leading the way for the teachings of the later Reformers.
The Reformers
The Reformers strongly rejected hell and purgatory, because by this time the teaching had become heavily corrupted by the sale of indulgences. These were the payments made to the priests to reduce the years of purification spent in purgatory.
Wycliffe taught that death was an unconscious sleep, as did Tyndale and Luther, (although it has to be said that Luther was not always consistent in his beliefs.) They taught neither hell or purgatory. They taught that ‘men are breath in bodies’ and not ‘souls in bodies‘.
Calvin, however, taught that those who were sinners went to the eternal pains of hell at the time of their death and even denied a middle place or purgatory. The Reformed churches, like Calvin, have generally maintained a belief in an immortal soul and hell-fire, but do not teach purgatory
The Resurrection and Hell.
How do the concept of an ever-burning hell and the Bible teaching of resurrection fit together? Over the centuries there has been a blending of Bible teachings with the teachings of men. It was known that the Bible speaks of resurrection, and also of death by fire. The compromise view sees the body being resurrected and rejoining its soul again and then both being tormented together by fire.
Athenagorus taught that a person can never die or come to an end; life is ours for always. He taught that we have been made intelligent just for the purpose of continuing life - even if it be in Hell. He also taught that a body is given to the soul, and we are born into this world to pass through this life as two entities. These two are separated at death but, at the resurrection, the body rejoins the soul. He taught that punishment must be given for sins committed in this body and so the body needs to suffer punishment also. During the period of separation from its soul it is said, the body is in the grave. He argued consistently that God made us to live, and therefore we live eternally even though it is a living death in torment.
What is the fate of the wicked?
The theologian Origen of Alexandria developed another, different view of the fate of the wicked. He postulated that the wicked would be forgiven and restored by God and so in the end all would be saved. There would be universal salvation. Some of his followers believe that even Satan will be saved.
But there was yet another view, that of Irenaeus, who taught that the wicked would be destroyed. All trace of wickedness would be removed from the earth by a devouring fire.
No second chance.
The Bible is clear that our choice, for Him or against Him, is made in this world, here and now. There is no mention of a second chance in the Bible, or a time when all people will be changed and restored to the Lord. This view of universal salvation is also mythology that has crept into the Christian world. It gives a more comfortable picture than judgement and death, but a second chance is false hope. Its origin is in the thinking of Greek philosophy.
In Summary
* There is no ever-burning hell with an eternity of torture.
* There is no such place as purgatory.
* There is no universal restoration of all sinners.
For many more articles pertaining to this topic see also:
Hell According to Scripture Homepage
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Comments (35)
I'm on the verge of giving up over this. Reading these nit-picky arguments over body, breath, soul, totally mind-numbing. I've argued basically a reformed version of Christianity for most of my long life, and now, coming to where I can see the end coming, for me, I am realizing I've been supporting a horrible horrible teaching, because back in my youth, I didn't listen to the warning of my own conscience. I do not any longer believe in a god who would knowingly create billions of human lives, lives made in His own image, only to leave their eternity dependent on the bad choice of one human couple. Worse, under this version of God, it was never uncertain these billions would be lost. He had to know he was creating only to destroy. And does it matter, ethically, whether they are lost in eternal torment, or just erased, like a mistake? Who is the god who would do this, knowing all this misery would come from it? It would make Him either a complete failure at love, supposedly his most essential quality, or else an irresponsible imbecile, not to know, or not to care, it's hard for me to say which would be worse. The reason universalism has its appeal is because it is intuitively more just that God should accept responsibility for the consequences of his creation going awry. None but those with a dead conscience could accept God as the biggest destroyer of human life in the history of the universe. It is the Devil who is supposed to be the great destroyer, and perhaps he could count himself successful, if by one act of deception in the garden, he manages to trick God into destroying nearly all the human race. If there is a God at all, this cannot, cannot, cannot possibly be who he is. But I understand that universalism has adverse consequences also. And so does atheism, pantheism, etc. There is no satisfactory solution that I have yet found. I only know this. I have come to question everything I thought I once believed, and hold myself an uncaring idiot for having propagated such bad ideas for so long, in the name of being 'faithful,' without being honest with myself, without listening to that voice within, the one I first heard when I read the story of the slaughter of the Canaanite children, saying, 'No! No matter what you’ve been told, this isn't right.'
Every human being will be judged for their own bad choices and not for "the bad choice of one human couple" (Ezek. 18, Rom. 5:12). Adam brought death and sin into the world but God also allows man to choose righteousness and life over sin and death through His freely offered grace; "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him" (Deut. 30:19, 20). No one will be able to stand before God and blame Adam for their choosing Satan rather than God; Death rather than life; Sin rather than righteousness; Hate rather than love. "To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality" (Rom. 2:7-11). "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29).
Could God not have created a perfect world where there would be no sin and death? The answer is He already has. God has prepared a Kingdom wherein perfect righteousness dwells. A place of perfect love and peace with no more death, sorrow, pain or tears. All its inhabitants will have freely chosen to live there, as "They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city" (Heb. 11:16). Could He create this perfect world wherein its inhabitants, without programming them as robots, would have a genuine love for Him and His righteousness without giving them the choice to rebel against Him and do evil? It would seem to me to be utterly impossible. Could He then ultimately have a perfect world without first destroying those who chose evil rather than God? Again, impossible. The truth is, the God of the Bible has a perfect plan with a righteous purpose which could be accomplished, as far as we can contemplate, in no other way. Through Christ, God mercifully allows whosoever wills to live in that perfect world if they will simply repent of their rebelliousness (the sole reason why this present world is so vile and corrupt), and get for themselves "a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezek. 18:31) with the resolve to live in loving obedience to His will as He originally intended (Ezek. 36:26; they must be born again). If one chooses to continue to rebel against their Creator, living in opposition to the purpose for which they were created, is there any rational reason why He would grant them the gift of eternal life? Those of such character as do "not like to retain God in their knowledge", who choose "to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them? (Rom 1:28-32). No, these, even as those with the exceedingly wicked character of the Canaanites, can have no place in the Kingdom of God and will justly be destroyed. If they corrupted His original creation would they not also corrupt the new heavens and new earth? (2 Pet. 3:13). Would it not then prevent any possibility of the perfect world the whole of creation longs for, when "the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" ? (Rom. 8:21). God was under no obligation to give us life and is certainly under no obligation to extend it any longer than He deems just. As Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). God is indeed "the biggest destroyer of human life", however, it is also the case that apart from Him there would be no human life and therefore He alone has the right and wisdom to do with it whatsoever He wills necessary to accomplish His ultimate purpose; the perfected creation of the "Paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7).
When considering the sinfulness of man the greatest mystery of all is that He allows anyone to live another day. How thankful we should be that He allows us to live at all let alone that He would offer us the good news of the choice of living forever with Him in perfect love and peace. "Does it matter, ethically, whether they are lost in eternal torment, or just erased"? Absolutely! To torture His created beings for all of eternity as opposed to taking back their life is an entirely different matter as the one is easily justifiable while the other is, biblically or otherwise, next to impossible to justify. To destroy all that choose evil, as in the slaughter of the Canaanites, is the natural consequence of perfect love as it must, by its very nature, destroy all that stands opposed to it. In other words, He is the "the biggest destroyer of human life" because, as we find throughout Scripture, and by our own experience, human life is the biggest destroyer of all that is righteous, loving, and just. Nonetheless, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live (Ezek 33:11). Thank God He will ultimately eradicate all that is evil and thank God that He has provided us all with a way of escape through the last Adam which is Christ (1 Cor. 15:45).
To question God's methods of accomplishing His ultimate goal and purpose is to assume we could come up with a better plan than He has which is the height of arrogance considering our knowledge is infinitely inferior to His, not to mention it is filtered through a sinful and fallen nature. " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord" (Isa. 55:8). "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Would you discredit My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?" (Job 40:7, 8). To those who love truth and righteousness, as they grow in their understanding of the God of Scripture, they can see the unfolding of a beautiful and brilliant plan of redemption and restoration even in the midst of all the suffering and pain of this present fallen world. We, therefore, walk by faith and not by sight. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:17-18). "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 150:6).
You missed one crucial element:
Matthew 13:10-16 (MCV) And the Learners came, and said unto Him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of The Kingdom of God, BUT TO THEM IT IS NOT GIVEN. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 THEREFORE I SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES: because they seeing, see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross (has grown fat and lazy), and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, AND SHOULD BE CONVERTED, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
99% of Christians do not understand the GREAT WHITE THRONE TRIBUNAL, poorly described in Revelation, which is NOT A BLANKET, 'ONE SIZE FITS ALL', JUDGEMENTAL EVENT resulting in the mass extermination of mankind in the Lake of Fire.
Indeed the more I study the scriptures and search their meaning, it seems the more questions arise and the more difficulties I encounter. It was easy back when I simply believed the scholars, preachers, evangelists, experts, and bible translations end of page commentaries. I commend all of the writers and contributors to these articles because you like me have an insatiable thirst to know what God really means and what He wants to communicate to His people. What I know now more than ever is that the Word of God is truly eternal. Written by the Eternal God who transcends all time, space, and matter with incredible complexity in some things yet so simple in others. At some point in our journeys, each one of us must arrive at a place of contentment to accept what we know of what we have been given. I struggled for years trying to understand the controversy between Calvinism and Armenianism siding on each bank of biblical supporting texts to arriving after 20 years of grueling study to honestly admit today that I am not altogether certain which is right or absolutely true. Both seem utterly plausible and defensible and at the same time altogether improbable that both can be simultaneously true and yet that is where I have landed. Spurgeon admitted a similar conclusion. My point is that the human finite and sin tainted mind is very limited in what can be confidently asserted as absolute biblical truth. Don't get me wrong, I have my strong opinions but I now temper them with only The Lord knows for sure and that has to be good enough for me.
As far as the doctrine of eternal conscious torment for the wicked goes- I like Ryan find it appalling that the God of the bible who is Love, Just, and Merciful, would condemn a human being to everlasting and age abiding suffering. This does trouble me greatly and I do find relief in the notion of annihilation of the wicked. Not that I would ever desire that any perish but that if they are found guilty at the just judgment of our Lord, then it seems the merciful and yet totally just thing would be for God to destroy the wicked rather than prolong their misery and this seems to align well with the scriptures. Traditional teaching regarding "hell" I have rejected. Not because it is a difficult doctrine to accept-which it is, but because of the copious number of scriptural texts that disprove it and argue just the opposite. I agree with Bob that we have a faulty conception of the English word eternal and of everlasting. I think Bob is correct in that time is divided out into ages or dispensations. I believe that since God had created time, that there might always be time. These times or ages being long and substantial. We need to be careful how we line up these ages and what order we see them in. Matthew 25 pointing to the conclusion of one of these ages but not the end of all ages as is commonly and erroneously done by most sincere believers. Peter speaks of an age or world prior to this one we now live in. Paul in Ephesians to a time before time in chapter 1. It is complex. Much more that I once thought. What I do know is that there is a God who is a living God. A God that is good and righteous. A God that is a genius and creative. A God that loves and is pleased with His creation of His universe and all that exists in it. A God who knows everything, including our struggles, our cares, our sins, our hopes, our dreams. A God that has a Son, whom He loves and is very pleased with. A God that sacrificed His Son on a horrible cross because He loved sinful humanity. A God who will stop at nothing to win lost souls(people) to Himself. A God who hates sin but loves the sinner. A God who had demonstrated His love for all of us by sending His only Son to die in our place so that we might live in righteousness with Him some day! A God who understands every temptation we have ever had. A God who will accomplish every last purpose He has determined for His good pleasure and will. A God who has defeated every foe, every enemy, and will one day be recognized by every creature, seen and unseen as the glorious great God that He is. His name is none other than The Lord and God Jesus Christ. This I know.
The bible actually teaches that the soul dies with the person ECCLESIASTES 9:5,6 says For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. 6?Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.
It doesn't say they will be forever tormented Jesus said about Lazarus that he was asleep in death not tormented also the bible says "GOD IS LOVE" what kind of a loving god would torture his people forever.
Here is the scripture that shows us that everyone will be with GOD in eternity one day;
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
CHRIST died for all including satan ---ALL--- of creation. CHRIST Created all things by HIM and for HIM;
Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
the book of Job tells clearly reveals to us who controls satan;
Job 1:12 And "the LORD" said unto Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself put not forth your hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
here Paul tells us what CHRIST uses satan for;
1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
satan was created for the destruction of our flesh but he can only destroy what CHRIST allows him to destroy. satan is not some loose cannon he follows strict orders.
CHRIST is not surprised by our actions HE wrote every one of our steps before there were any;
American Standard Version
Psalm 139:16 "Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me , When as yet there was ---none--- of them."
here is why we were put on this earth;
Concordant Literal Version
Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity "to humble" them by it.
to humble us. because once we are humbled than we are teachable. a prideful man can not be taught.
1 Corinthians 13 tells us what we should be praying for.
The Priority of Love
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have ---NOT LOVE, I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have ---NOT LOVE, it profits me nothing.
GOD IS LOVE and that is the image we are being made into if HE has poured HIS LOVE IN you.
Romans 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
GOD IS ETERNAL AND GOD IS LOVE so though we are not told what we will be doing in the next life we are given the hint that LOVE will be essential in our eternal lives.
is why we are told so much about love including loving our enemies but how can that be possible? because if we believe THE WORD OF GOD which is CHRIST where HE tells us that all things were created by HIM and for HIM than we need to get to the point where we see CHRIST in everyone and in every situation in our lives.
GOD BLESS
In the new heavens and new earth all that was before that was sinful, evil, wicked, fallen, corrupted, defiled, and reprobate will be gone. Anything and anyone that was an enemy of God will be finally and totally destroyed. The new heavens and the new earth will be a place of restoration of the original Garden of Eden. In that garden nothing was corrupted, defiled, sinful, evil, perverted, but was exactly how God deliberately designed it all-Very GOOD! After sin entered through Adam's disobedience, then all was lost in terms of perfection and purity. Since the sin of Adam the curse of sin has tormented all of nature, all of mankind, all of life. Christ Jesus our Lord reversed the curse of death and sin. Yes He died for the sins of all mankind; a perfect satisfaction of the just and holy penalty that sin demands. But there remains those who will not surrender to His authority, to His grace, to His dominion, to His love, to His righteousness. These rebels will not submit and the Lord will not force them to either. It is an invitation of His grace and love to believe in His beloved Son; but do not be fooled, those who persist in their stubborn rebellion will not inherit eternal life but will face the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Christ Jesus as Lord because His honor and His position will demand it. It will be all joy for many but it will also be utter agony and misery for the rest. The lake of fire will do its work in absolute destruction of anything and anyone who does not conform to the will of the Father. Even death will be destroyed, the final enemy of God. After the consummation of the consuming lake of fire and its destruction of all that is wicked, then the earth and the heavens will be prepared for it's new beginning. The original plan will commence, the new Jerusalem, which is the bride and wife of Christ will descend and the saints of God will dwell with the Father and the Lamb in unfathomable glory forever. Yes indeed God will be all in all because all will be holy and good-yes very GOOD indeed just as it was in the beginning. Evil will never be made good. Evil will be destroyed and eliminated. That which is made good can only be made good by the work of the cross of Jesus Christ and a believing faith now in this time and in this world.
Yes, every knee shall bow and acknowledge the holiness of God. And yes, Satan and the wicked who have chosen to follow him will be destroyed. Malachi 4:1 - Wicked are destroyed "root and branch" AFTER they bow their knee's to God. Ezekiel 18:18–19, And yes, Satan is turned to ashes /destroyed AFTER he bows his knee to God, acknowledging who God is. Psalm 27:8-9, 20 And yes, the Wicked perish AFTER they bow their knees to God.
Are you telling me that the visions of hell seen by some people like micheal thomas sambo "divine revelation of God judgement and holiness", four hours interview in hell, 23 minutes in hell by bill weise, hell testimony by a budhist monk, dat of angelica zambrano among others were just claims or those visions were demonically influenced?
Yes! Most definitely so. Otherwise simply brain malfunctions that induced visions something like dreams we have at night that seem very real but are not. Many today have spirit guides or familiar spirits as they are described in the OT. These are nothing more than demonic beings masking their real identity deceiving the vulnerable. Satan the great counterfeiter is very good at deceiving the gullible and in the end times even possibly the elect of God. The bible-our only true source of absolute truth, never once describes any of the resurrected at having seen angels, people, God, anything after they were raised. For instance Lazarus in John 11 has nothing to say about the four days he was dead and decaying. He doesn't tell Mary, Martha, Jesus, or the apostles that he had a nice chat with uncle Charlie or Michael the arch angel. He doesn't say anything about his unconscious condition in the tomb. No he was simply dead. The bible says the dead no not anything. Can it be any more clear? there are no thoughts in Sheol-grave. Our hope is in what Jesus said in Matthew 16- that the gates of hell or the grave will not prevail against His Church. In other words, even death and the grave will not be able to hold back the Church when Jesus comes to free them in the resurrection. Life beyond the grave is only in the resurrection of the faithful. No separation of body and soul as the Neo-Platonists believe. If one believes what the bible says about the nature of man as a whole being not a dualistic being that is traditionally taught, then these types of things will no longer be distractions. We will spot them immediately for what they are; deceptive ploys by Satan.
Tom is right. Visions today and or since the completion of the canon of scripture are nothing more than Satanic/ demonic counterfeits. If one takes the time to read Michael Thomas Sambo's account of his visions; it becomes obvious that Michael has believed a "different gospel" than the apostle Paul warns us of in his letter to the Galatians. Sambo's gospel is the same old lie of the devil, namely the gospel of works righteousness. We are not saved on account of our merited or earned holiness, but are saved by the imputed holiness of Christ who is the only Holy One on our behalf. We are all terribly wicked, fallen, people that are under condemnation. Nothing we do will change that condition except the righteousness of Jesus Christ given to us when we trust in Him and nothing else. If the church is truly in the miserable condition that Sambo's Jesus says it's in, then the true gospel of the bible is false. True believers know why they are considered holy and purified in Christ. They know that we have been predestined from before the foundation of the world to be blameless and holy in Christ. Outside of Christ I would agree we are in serious trouble. But in Christ where we are hidden, and have our righteousness, we are pure, holy, and perfect. Our flesh is corrupt and therefore we sin. But God our Heavenly Father only sees our perfection in His beloved Son. As Paul said to the Galatians, if anyone tells of another gospel, let him be accursed! Have we been made righteous by faith but are now to complete that righteousness by works, or by wearing "proper clothing" or by applying makeup or not applying makeup. This has been the biggest and most ambitious lie of Satan since he fall. All false religions of the world have their primary belief in the attainment of holiness by personal merit. True faith, true holiness is only attainable by faith and trust in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Nothing more nothing less. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone, you have His holiness forever! Praise God