Hell & The New Creation

[Paul423]

Okay, this question might be a bit tricky to word properly, but I’m gonna give a shot.

How does Hell “fit” into the New Creation? What I mean is this: both Scripture and Tradition paint a picture of the New Creation as being freed from sin, death, and evil. There are new heavens and a new earth; we will have resurrected, glorified bodies; God will dwell among us; etc. it’s a picture of complete whole ness between creation and Creator. As St. Paul puts it, God will be “all in all.” So my question is, how does Hell fit in to this picture? Assuming the concept of Hell put forth by the Church today (i.e. eternal separation from God) then how do these two concepts fit? It seems to me that sin and death will forever have a place in creation with this understanding. Thoughts?

P.S. Not arguing against Church teaching on Hell, just looking for a little philosophical/metaphysical explanation.

 

[Jon_S_1]

Okay, this question might be a bit tricky to word properly, but I’m gonna give a shot.

How does Hell “fit” into the New Creation? What I mean is this: both Scripture and Tradition paint a picture of the New Creation as being freed from sin, death, and evil. There are new heavens and a new earth; we will have resurrected, glorified bodies; God will dwell among us; etc. it’s a picture of complete whole ness between creation and Creator. As St. Paul puts it, God will be “all in all.” So my question is, how does Hell fit in to this picture? Assuming the concept of Hell put forth by the Church today (i.e. eternal separation from God) then how do these two concepts fit? It seems to me that sin and death will forever have a place in creation with this understanding. Thoughts?

P.S. Not arguing against Church teaching on Hell, just looking for a little philosophical/metaphysical explanation.

I think you need to focus on the eternal separation from God part. People in hell are very much alive just as those in heaven or in the new earth Will be. These people are separated from this new heaven however due to their past sins. We can look to Genesis for a glimpse of what this may be like since Satan and the evil angels were fallen and yet God had created earth and dwelled with man with no sin or death. The difference is at the final judgement Satan will
Be cast into hell and bound forever. Sadly, those who chose to go with him by rejecting God will as well.

 

[sparkfrompoland]

Its a really good question that I have often pondered.
Presumably the situation must be that there will be some sort of physical Hell because the damned will also have a physical form. A sobering thought though!
God bless
www.divinemercypopes.com

 

[just_came_back]

I hate to say this but the scriptures seem to point to annihilation every time I read them. I know the SDA believe this but think about this, when Christ declares “fear Him that CAN destroy BOTH body AND soul”(-bold letter via my doing), is the Lord saying this symbolically or truthfully.

I have thought many times that if EVERYTHING, every inch of the new world to come, is to be free from death, pain, suffering, evil then Hell CANNOT last forever. There’s no way.