Hell Revisited

What ever happened to Hell?

Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, "Those who worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or on their hands, they will also drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image and for anyone who receives the mark of its name." Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them."- Revelation 14:12-13

We don't hear about Hell much anymore.  It is as if we have outgrown our need for the idea of lasting punishment for our bad behavior.

The Book of Revelation paints an all-too-familiar picture of the place when John talks about the fate of those who worship the Beast.

This is the stuff movies are made of.  I grew up on this bipolar vision of the afterlife and then somewhere between Confirmation and college, we stopped talking about judgment and everlasting punishment for our sins.

When did we vote to eliminate Hell?

Maybe it was at Woodstock?  I didn't go, so I may have missed it.  Did everyone vote to eliminate all vestiges of wrath and brimstone, favoring love and peace and pot instead?

It's not a bad idea for this life, but I am not sure about the potential shortfall in the next.

It's kind of like spending all my money on what I want now and not saving for retirement, only to discover I cannot ever retire.

If I use up all my rewards for being good before I die, what happens then?

I think the reason we stopped talking about Hell is we don't want to think about it, and our religious leaders seem to be ok with that. 

But what are the consequences?  So many people stopped going to church when we shifted our focus from the bad place to the good, that bringing back Hell now would only send the rest away.

Maybe there is something to be said for focusing on this life while we are in it, and not seeking later rewards with acts of martyrdom and self-sacrifice. 

But by ignoring judgment after death, aren't we inviting it now?

Hmm.

What does that say about the state of the world today?

More to come...