(June 29, 2015 at 1:15 pm)Tonus Wrote:(June 29, 2015 at 12:10 pm)SteveII Wrote: While I am no theologian, it seems hell is a real place, burning, lasts forever, and there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth". While those that go to heaven are promised new bodies, I know of no such mention for those that do not go to heaven--so it might be just the soul that exists. I do wonder how much of the experience is a direct result of separation from God and how much is a overt attempt to make it more uncomfortable--I lean toward the former.The Bible itself doesn't make this clear. The OT seems to describe death as the end of existence for people, not a gateway to an afterlife. And the NT speaks of heaven and hell, but the latter is poorly-defined. It may be a metaphorical description of the cessation of existence (one of the qualities of fire is that it consumes and destroys, indicating finality). It may be a literal place of endless suffering, with a person's soul kept alive for no other reason than to torment it. For a couple of reasons, I find that unlikely, but all in all it's too vague.
That is a fair point. Further study might and commentary might help, but I don't think it is 100% clear. There is sufficient description to wish to avoid it if possible.
