Veil of Fire

Does anyone happen to have a handy list of Biblical references to the nature and existence of Hell? I can't seem to find anything specific, but I'm not going to sift through the whole huge thing again. Can anyone give me a hand? Or somewhere to start?

CX

NT references:

Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[ 5:22 Some manuscripts brother without cause] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[ 5:22 An Aramaic term of contempt] ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 5 In context: Matthew 5:21-23)

Matthew 5:29
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 5 In context: Matthew 5:28-30)

Matthew 5:30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 5 In context: Matthew 5:29-31)

Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 10 In context: Matthew 10:27-29)

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter,[ 16:18 Peter means rock.] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[ 16:18 Or hell] will not overcome it.[ 16:18 Or not prove stronger than it]
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 16 In context: Matthew 16:17-19)

Matthew 18:9
And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 18 In context: Matthew 18:8-10)

Matthew 23:15
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 23 In context: Matthew 23:14-16)

Matthew 23:33
"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 23 In context: Matthew 23:32-34)

Matthew 25:41
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 25 In context: Matthew 25:40-42)

Mark 9:43
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell , where the fire never goes out.[ 9:43 Some manuscripts out, 44 where / " 'their worm does not die, / and the fire is not quenched.']
(Whole Chapter: Mark 9 In context: Mark 9:42-44)

Mark 9:45
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.[ 9:45 Some manuscripts hell, 46 where / " 'their worm does not die, / and the fire is not quenched.']
(Whole Chapter: Mark 9 In context: Mark 9:44-46)

Mark 9:47
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
(Whole Chapter: Mark 9 In context: Mark 9:46-48)

Luke 12:5
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
(Whole Chapter: Luke 12 In context: Luke 12:4-6)

Luke 16:23
In hell,[ 16:23 Greek Hades] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
(Whole Chapter: Luke 16 In context: Luke 16:22-24)

James 3:6
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
(Whole Chapter: James 3 In context: James 3:5-7)

2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell ,[ 2:4 Greek Tartarus] putting them into gloomy dungeons[ 2:4 Some manuscripts into chains of darkness] to be held for judgment;
(Whole Chapter: 2 Peter 2 In context: 2 Peter 2:3-5)

Revelation 20:14
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
(Whole Chapter: Revelation 20 In context: Revelation 20:13-15)

Revelation 20:15
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

For OT references search on sheol and gehenna.

Marduk

You can go here and search for any word or passage you like:

<a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible" target="_blank">http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible</a>

Veil of Fire

So, correct me if I'm wrong... but nothing here suggests that humans will feel eternal pain from being thrown into hell. We see that it was made for "the devil and his angels", and that the FIRE never goes out... but it's also referred to as the "second death", which I would interperet to mean the death of the soul after the death of the Bible.

Thus, from all that, there's no evidence of an eternal painful concentration-camp-type place, just another death.

Which would make sense in the context of eternal life (of the soul) being required in order to suffer eternal punishment, yet Jesus said only people who believe in him will have eternal life.

Unless I'm totally off-base, I see a distinct lack of Biblical justification for the doctrine of Eternal Torture for non-believers.

wordsmyth

What about this passage which specifically mentions pain, trouble and sorrow...

Psalm 116
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

This next passage implies that damnation(hell) has varying degrees...

Mark 12
40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

This passage likens hell to a pit with sides...

Isaiah 14
15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

This passage says that hell has a belly(center) and that being there would cause someone to cry out...

Jonah 2
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

I believe that even the various authors of the bible had differing opinions on what the conditions of hell were, which is why we have scriptures that are unclear or that can be interpreted differently.

However, we should be able to agree that whatever the conditions of hell are, they would be undesirable.

CX

Not to mention Jesus' parable about Lazarus in GLk 16:19-31

Vinnie

""""Not to mention Jesus' parable about Lazarus in GLk 16:19-31""""""

Interpretation of what that parable meeans is pretty diverse.

Vinnie

CX

I suspect that is largely because a literal interpretation of it is uncomfortable for liberal minded Xians. The Judaic concept of hell comes over from Zoroastrianism. It seems pretty clear to me from the texts that the authors had a fairly concrete conception of hell as a place of torment for sinners. This is not unprecdented in world religions. What is an adaptation is the apparent Xian belief that hell is eternal. But whether it is or isn't is immaterial. The whole concept is inconcievably barbaric.

Vinnie

"""I suspect that is largely because a literal interpretation of it is uncomfortable for liberal minded Xians."""

I suspect you are wrong.

What if people who believed in an eternal hell supported such an interpretation?

Vinnie

CX

Well, it's entirely possible that you are right. But I seem to recall that the controversy over this parable relates more to the juxtaposition of rich and poor and allusions to Moses and the prophets than it does the portrayal of hell.