Hell & The New Creation

[Paul423]

How does Hell “fit” into the New Creation? Both Scripture and Tradition paint the New Creation as being free from sin, death, and evil. Assuming the concept of Hell normally taught today (i.e. eternal separation from the love of God), how do these two things fit together? It would seem that in this scenario, sin and death will have always have apace in God’s creation. Thoughts?

 

[Love4All]

How does Hell “fit” into the New Creation? Both Scripture and Tradition paint the New Creation as being free from sin, death, and evil. Assuming the concept of Hell normally taught today (i.e. eternal separation from the love of God), how do these two things fit together? It would seem that in this scenario, sin and death will have always have apace in God’s creation. Thoughts?

Hell is outside. “Outer darkness.” Those in hell are banished from God’s world.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

My peculiar take on this is based on the reality of Black Holes. I think at the end of time, after the Judgement has taken place, and we’ve all gone one way or the other, Hell and / or the Lake of Fire will be swept up into something like a Black Hole, eternally existing for those imprisoned inside, but out of sight and mind for Heaven.

Which is a morbid and terrifying thought. But since Black Holes exist, I suppose they may be there partly as an allegory, just as we use light to represent goodness and dark to represent evil.

Anyway that’s my suspicion.

 

[Pugsly]

How does Hell “fit” into the New Creation? Both Scripture and Tradition paint the New Creation as being free from sin, death, and evil. Assuming the concept of Hell normally taught today (i.e. eternal separation from the love of God), how do these two things fit together? It would seem that in this scenario, sin and death will have always have apace in God’s creation. Thoughts?

Hell is the Nether World that eternally flees the Face of God (for God is present to it) like wax before the fires of God’s Justice…or…like a salt water sea of possibilities that are constantly made fresh by the River from the throne of God.

In Heaven we will be wrapped in God’s Mercy for all eternity…[Let us give thanks to God for His mercy endures forever]…but God has “places” of raw power and perfect Justice where no one can see and live…thus Hell will suffer eternal death…eternal fear…eternal unrest.

Your question about sin and death always having a place in God’s creation…implies that God will “create” a condition that requires eternal anihilation. In the New Heavens and the New Earth…God will wipe every tear from our eyes…but the “uncreated” sea of limited possibilities wherein there are every sort of wicked rebellion and evil…will become an ever receding lake of fire as God’s Kingdom eternally expands.

In other words…that which holds together will be in Heaven…it will be “created”…and that which decomposes will die…even eternally.

A better place for your question to focus would be…the Tree of Life…WHY DOES IT HAVE LEAVES FOR HEALING OF THE NATIONS? Will there be transgressions in Heaven that require healing?

Ps…I think Mr Crowley and Love4All are both right.

 

[Love4All]

Hell is the Nether World that eternally flees the Face of God (for God is present to it) like wax before the fires of God’s Justice…or…like a salt water sea of possibilities that are constantly made fresh by the River from the throne of God.

In Heaven we will be wrapped in God’s Mercy for all eternity…[Let us give thanks to God for His mercy endures forever]…but God has “places” of raw power and perfect Justice where no one can see and live…thus Hell will suffer eternal death…eternal fear…eternal unrest.

Your question about sin and death always having a place in God’s creation…implies that God will “create” a condition that requires eternal anihilation. In the New Heavens and the New Earth…God will wipe every tear from our eyes…but the “uncreated” sea of limited possibilities wherein there are every sort of wicked rebellion and evil…will become an ever receding lake of fire as God’s Kingdom eternally expands.

In other words…that which holds together will be in Heaven…it will be “created”…and that which decomposes will die…even eternally.

A better place for your question to focus would be…the Tree of Life…WHY DOES IT HAVE LEAVES FOR HEALING OF THE NATIONS? Will there be transgressions in Heaven that require healing?

Ps…I think Mr Crowley and Love4All are both right.

I think Pugsly is also right!

 

[Paul423]

Thanks for the replies folks However, I’m still a bit puzzled on this…

I guess my question falls into the real of ontology. The conundrum I’m trying wrap my head around is existence of any sort of eternal Hell being reconciled with the New Creation (Disclaimer: Not arguing with Church teaching; I’m an aspiring philosopher/theologian looking for answers ) Whatever form an eternal Hell takes, it will involve creatures (human and spirit) being in an eternal state of enmity towards God i.e. a state of sin and death. How is this to be if the New Creation is free from these things? Even if this is a state of being removed from God’s love, it will still be apart of the New Creation because it will exist.

Maybe this analogy will help: Pluto is so far away from the Sun that it is shrouded in darkness and cold, but it is still apart of the solar system. Say that God declared that He was going to make a new solar system where darkness and cold no longer exist. How could a place like Pluto exist in such a solar system?

 

[Pugsly]

Thanks for the replies folks However, I’m still a bit puzzled on this…

I guess my question falls into the real of ontology. The conundrum I’m trying wrap my head around is existence of any sort of eternal Hell being reconciled with the New Creation (Disclaimer: Not arguing with Church teaching; I’m an aspiring philosopher/theologian looking for answers ) Whatever form an eternal Hell takes, it will involve creatures (human and spirit) being in an eternal state of enmity towards God i.e. a state of sin and death. How is this to be if the New Creation is free from these things? Even if this is a state of being removed from God’s love, it will still be apart of the New Creation because it will exist.

Maybe this analogy will help: Pluto is so far away from the Sun that it is shrouded in darkness and cold, but it is still apart of the solar system. Say that God declared that He was going to make a new solar system where darkness and cold no longer exist. How could a place like Pluto exist in such a solar system?

One image that helped me understand hell’s place in the new Heaven/Earth is from the book of Revelation.

1. What is the universe we now live in? Is it not just like so much sand?
2. What happens to sand when it is exposed to a fervent heat? It turns to glass.
3. In the book of Revelation it says that the Temple of the Lord, the New Jerusalem will be built on a sea of glass.
4. There are 2 interesting points here…Light can penetrate glass and even heat things up below…and…“there is afixed a great gulf between us and you…so that none can go from here to there or there to here” {paraphrased] from the Lazarus parable.