Visions of Hell

[Chris_LaRock]

I’ve heard many people tell about visions of hell. Many of them stated that human souls in hell have demons assigned to torture them there.

If demons are in hell for rebellion, as well as people, why would God have the demons torture those people?

 

[bbentrup]

Is it your understanding that God is ‘assigning’ the demons (i.e., the fallen, rebellious angels) to purposely torture the lost souls?

That would seem to go against an all-loving God and would thus be against Catholic understanding of God and hell.

These visions, if true as you describe (source?), might be allowed by God’s permissive will. God, in his infinite love and mercy, wants these souls to come to him so much, but he knows it is impossible for them. Being with God would be for them more tortuous still.

Hell doesn’t need fire and whip-bearing demons to be hellish - I’ve generally understood such aspects to be symbolic, even within the context of a saintly vision. Gluttonous desires, as just one example, can still exist in Hell, and would seem to be equivalents of tormenting demons. As long as the vision has helped us fear such an end, it has done its point.

We don’t know God’s ways, so even if such a vision seemed so convincing to you as a proof of a chink in God’s total love, trust the deposit of faith from the Church on this one and don’t buy into these doubts. The visionaries who were permitted these visions would never have thought such of God. God, who is Love, wishes all people to come to him to live in Heaven eternally.

 

[Chris_LaRock]

Is it your understanding that God is ‘assigning’ the demons (i.e., the fallen, rebellious angels) to purposely torture the lost souls?

That would seem to go against an all-loving God and would thus be against Catholic understanding of God and hell.

These visions, if true as you describe (source?), might be allowed by God’s permissive will. God, in his infinite love and mercy, wants these souls to come to him so much, but he knows it is impossible for them. Being with God would be for them more tortuous still.

Hell doesn’t need fire and whip-bearing demons to be hellish - I’ve generally understood such aspects to be symbolic, even within the context of a saintly vision. Gluttonous desires, as just one example, can still exist in Hell, and would seem to be equivalents of tormenting demons. As long as the vision has helped us fear such an end, it has done its point.

We don’t know God’s ways, so even if such a vision seemed so convincing to you as a proof of a chink in God’s total love, trust the deposit of faith from the Church on this one and don’t buy into these doubts. The visionaries who were permitted these visions would never have thought such of God. God, who is Love, wishes all people to come to him to live in Heaven eternally.

The man who wrote ‘23 minutes in hell’ described demons being assigned to torment individuals in hell when he was given his vision. It seems to me that a man/demon in hell would both be there for punishment, and God wouldn’t assign one to torment the other.

 

[DL82]

I had a vision of hell about 3 years ago, but it will remain with me. It’s probably the only religious experience I had as a protestant that remains with me, all the rest seem to fade into a kind-of gray now that I’ve known the surpassing glory of receiving Christ in the fullness of His body, blood, soul and divinity.

Anyway, what I felt was a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) piercing through my heart from the back right through to the front, and then falling towards a thin line of fire that seemed to stretch on in a curve far out of sight. As I fell closer to the fires, I saw that it was inhabited by huge black creatures contorted like dead spiders, but I wasn’t scared by the fire or the creatures because nothing they could do to me could be any worse than losing the Spirit of God, which had already happened, and which was the worst punishment of all, losing all hope.

The absence of God in hell is the chief punishment, demons sticking sharp pokers up your behind is just artistic licence used to scare medieval peasants.

 

[Chris_LaRock]

I had a vision of hell about 3 years ago, but it will remain with me. It’s probably the only religious experience I had as a protestant that remains with me, all the rest seem to fade into a kind-of gray now that I’ve known the surpassing glory of receiving Christ in the fullness of His body, blood, soul and divinity.

Anyway, what I felt was a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) piercing through my heart from the back right through to the front, and then falling towards a thin line of fire that seemed to stretch on in a curve far out of sight. As I fell closer to the fires, I saw that it was inhabited by huge black creatures contorted like dead spiders, but I wasn’t scared by the fire or the creatures because nothing they could do to me could be any worse than losing the Spirit of God, which had already happened, and which was the worst punishment of all, losing all hope.

The absence of God in hell is the chief punishment, demons sticking sharp pokers up your behind is just artistic licence used to scare medieval peasants.

Well, certainly there are varying degrees of punishment. A robber wouldn’t be punished the same way as someone who killed thousands of people.

 

[Andruschak]

I’ve heard many people tell about visions of hell. Many of them stated that human souls in hell have demons assigned to torture them there.

If demons are in hell for rebellion, as well as people, why would God have the demons torture those people?

All these alledged “visions of hell” are, when all is said and done, “private revelations”, and I for one do not take them too seriously, especially when so many contradict each other.

Have you read what the catechism has to say about hell?

@@@@@@@@@@

IV. HELL

1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."612 Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.613 To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”

1034 Jesus often speaks of “Gehenna” of “the unquenchable fire” reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.614 Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"615 and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!"616

1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."618

Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where "men will weep and gnash their teeth."619

1037 God predestines no one to go to hell;620 for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want “any to perish, but all to come to repentance”:621

Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.622

 

[myredeemerlives]

I also watched this guy’s testimony and it freaked me out for a long time but now I don’t believe it is scriptural, even though I’m sure this guy believes his experience to be real I do believe he experienced it but whether or not it was from God I’m not sure.

The reasons for me why I don’t believe it is this…

One: Satan is not in hell yet… he’s on earth.

Two: When Satan goes to hell it will be for punishment! He will not be having fun there torturing human souls.

Hell will be eternal seperation from God in a lake of fire. It’s not a demon fun house where they get to torture humans. To me, that is the kind of vision that Satan would really enjoy giving to someone to spread … it’s him giving himself more power again. Truth of the matter is, he’s a defeated foe and he knows it.

 

[beckycmarie]

Satan is not in hell yet… he’s on earth.

Satan is in the presence of hell while tempting people on earth, similar to how our guardian angels are present to us and always in the presence of the beatific vision at the same time.

 

[myredeemerlives]

Satan is in the presence of hell while tempting people on earth, similar to how our guardian angels are present to us and always in the presence of the beatific vision at the same time.

Can you show me scripture verses to support that?

 

[beckycmarie]

Can you show me scripture verses to support that?

Perhaps we need to take this to PM, but it wouldn’t matter even if I did. I showed you the scripture that shows without a doubt the reality of the Eucharist and you rejected it.

 

[beckycmarie]

Can you show me scripture verses to support that?

Well, myredeemerlives, I did this once and sent you the scripture (Gospel of John, Ch. 6) that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt the reality of the Eucharist, and you rejected it. If you will not accept the words of Christ himself, why would you believe what a prophet and/or saint has to say about angels?

 

[beckycmarie]

Can you show me scripture verses to support that?

Scripture to support Satan’s presence in hell:

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. (Matthew 25:41)

 

[myredeemerlives]

It just says “prepared for” it doesn’t say he’s in there yet.

I thought that he didn’t get thrown in there until after Jesus’ thousand year reign… because he has to be loosened for a little while first… (Revelation)

 

[beckycmarie]

It just says “prepared for” it doesn’t say he’s in there yet.

You’re right, but here’s a clue that the devil and his angels are in hell and fighting against us on earth at the same time:

And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

 

[TOP]

Can you show me scripture verses to support that?

Prophecy Of Isaias 14:11 Thy pride is brought down to hell, thy carcass is fallen down: under thee shall the moth be strewed, and worms shall be thy covering. 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations? 13 And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north. 14 I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High. 15 But yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, into the depth of the pit.

Footnote: *12 “O Lucifer”… O day star. All this, according to the letter, is spoken of the king of Babylon. It may also be applied, in a spiritual sense, to Lucifer the prince of devils, who was created a bright angel, but fell by pride and rebellion against God. *

 

[Feedmysheep]

The man who wrote ‘23 minutes in hell’ described demons being assigned to torment individuals in hell when he was given his vision. It seems to me that a man/demon in hell would both be there for punishment, and God wouldn’t assign one to torment the other.

As others have posted, any revelation of Hell is a private revelation and we are in no way under obligation to believe in it. Nor should we think that private revelation is Church teaching.

The absolute and eternal separation of the soul from God is scary enough.