The Two Hells
October 11, 2019
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
There are two ancient traditions of Hell, one having its origin in Christian revelation and the other in pagan thought. Of course, what is promulgated as Christian revelation and what is promoted as human reasoning can not always be delineated, so an objective standard must be applied. Our standard to distinguish these two versions of Hell are predicated upon the idea that either Hell exists in the presence of God, or it does not. Of course, to state that Hell exists away from God denies the omnipresence of God and undermines one modern belief regarding the God of self professing Christians.
The well known version of Hell is taught by the Roman Church and is well known in the western world. Purgatory is a reasoned condition for those faithful departed who are not Saints, in Heaven, or those dying mortal sin, in Hell. However, the Roman Catholic concept of Hell as being a location separate from God has its origin in non Christian writings, that is, the writings of the Old Testament regarding Sheol. Sheol is where the dead exist after death and is commonly thought to be located under the earth. According to the Mercer Dictionary of the Bible [1990], Sheol “is a place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of the moral choices made in life, a place of stillness and darkness cut off from life and separated from God.” The objective standard for our inquiry is met: Sheol is separate from God, as are the deceased who abide there.
The Old Testament has indications that the Deity is not omniscient. In the Garden of Delights, the Lord God asks Adam “Where art thou?” and during the construction of the Tower of Babel “the Lord came down to see the city and the tower.” From the perspective of the Pentateuch, it is possible to conceive of a location that is removed from God. Since our modern conception of God includes omniscience, it can be stated that this understanding is from an early stage in the historical development of the Deity.
The ancient Nicene creed only requires that the Christian to publicly profess “one God, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth”. The faithful are only to believe in the omnipotence of God, neither his omnibenevolence, nor his omniscience. Although the pious believer may declare that his version of the Christian God as all good and all knowing, these statements are not dogmas of the Christian church, nor can they be “principles laid down as incontrovertibly true”. If God is omnibenevolent while evil exists in the world, then God cannot be either omniscient, as he is unaware of evil; or omnipotent, as he can not prevent evil, which he would do if he were all good. If God is omniscient, then he knows of the existence of evil, but either he can not prevent evil, then he is not omnipotent; or if he is indifferent to evil, then he cannot properly be described as omnibenevolent. The God that is put forth by many people as being all good, all knowing, and all powerful cannot exist, unless one explicitly states that evil does not, in fact, exist in the world.
There are many passages in the Old Testament that suggest a resurrection of the dead at what can be described as the Final Judgment. However, none of these indications are found in the Pentateuch, the Old Testament Law, but in Proverbs, the Psalms, and the Prophets. Many modern self professing Christians may adhere to these passages as authoritative, not because it coincides with long held Christian tradition, but as these verses confirm their opinion regarding these writings. There was only one belief regarding the dead before the second Temple, and after that time, a “more diverse set of ideas developed”. The Christian profession that Christ will return “to judge the quick and the dead” and to “look for the resurrection of the dead” could be considered as one of those diverse ideas.
Many modern communities of self professing Christians have found the dilemma of God punishing individuals for eternity, for a temporal sin, in a separate location called “Hell” to be repugnant. The solution to this supposed problem is simple: the sinners are annihilated, as they no longer exist, so they no longer suffer. The book of Revelation is frequently cited in support of this conclusion as a “second death” is mentioned on four occasions [2:11; 20:4,6,14; 21:8]. The modern idea of the annihilation of sinners is the result of denying both the authority of Church tradition and of the Nicene creed, all the while searching the Bible for proof texts. Interestingly, the “second death” is a minor aspect of the Egyptian religion, as it is the fate of those whose lives are judged to be unequal to the feather of MA’at. It needs to be said that no one suffers the “second death” from the extant writings- all enter the realm of Osiris. This Egyptian belief is in agreement with Saint Paul: “even so in Christ shall all be made alive”.
The second version of Hell is from the Orthodox Church. We quote extensively concerning the location of Heaven and Hell, so that we can be cannot be accused either of misunderstanding or of misrepresenting the Orthodox position.
The well known version of Hell is taught by the Roman Church and is well known in the western world. Purgatory is a reasoned condition for those faithful departed who are not Saints, in Heaven, or those dying mortal sin, in Hell. However, the Roman Catholic concept of Hell as being a location separate from God has its origin in non Christian writings, that is, the writings of the Old Testament regarding Sheol. Sheol is where the dead exist after death and is commonly thought to be located under the earth. According to the Mercer Dictionary of the Bible [1990], Sheol “is a place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of the moral choices made in life, a place of stillness and darkness cut off from life and separated from God.” The objective standard for our inquiry is met: Sheol is separate from God, as are the deceased who abide there.
The Old Testament has indications that the Deity is not omniscient. In the Garden of Delights, the Lord God asks Adam “Where art thou?” and during the construction of the Tower of Babel “the Lord came down to see the city and the tower.” From the perspective of the Pentateuch, it is possible to conceive of a location that is removed from God. Since our modern conception of God includes omniscience, it can be stated that this understanding is from an early stage in the historical development of the Deity.
The ancient Nicene creed only requires that the Christian to publicly profess “one God, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth”. The faithful are only to believe in the omnipotence of God, neither his omnibenevolence, nor his omniscience. Although the pious believer may declare that his version of the Christian God as all good and all knowing, these statements are not dogmas of the Christian church, nor can they be “principles laid down as incontrovertibly true”. If God is omnibenevolent while evil exists in the world, then God cannot be either omniscient, as he is unaware of evil; or omnipotent, as he can not prevent evil, which he would do if he were all good. If God is omniscient, then he knows of the existence of evil, but either he can not prevent evil, then he is not omnipotent; or if he is indifferent to evil, then he cannot properly be described as omnibenevolent. The God that is put forth by many people as being all good, all knowing, and all powerful cannot exist, unless one explicitly states that evil does not, in fact, exist in the world.
There are many passages in the Old Testament that suggest a resurrection of the dead at what can be described as the Final Judgment. However, none of these indications are found in the Pentateuch, the Old Testament Law, but in Proverbs, the Psalms, and the Prophets. Many modern self professing Christians may adhere to these passages as authoritative, not because it coincides with long held Christian tradition, but as these verses confirm their opinion regarding these writings. There was only one belief regarding the dead before the second Temple, and after that time, a “more diverse set of ideas developed”. The Christian profession that Christ will return “to judge the quick and the dead” and to “look for the resurrection of the dead” could be considered as one of those diverse ideas.
Many modern communities of self professing Christians have found the dilemma of God punishing individuals for eternity, for a temporal sin, in a separate location called “Hell” to be repugnant. The solution to this supposed problem is simple: the sinners are annihilated, as they no longer exist, so they no longer suffer. The book of Revelation is frequently cited in support of this conclusion as a “second death” is mentioned on four occasions [2:11; 20:4,6,14; 21:8]. The modern idea of the annihilation of sinners is the result of denying both the authority of Church tradition and of the Nicene creed, all the while searching the Bible for proof texts. Interestingly, the “second death” is a minor aspect of the Egyptian religion, as it is the fate of those whose lives are judged to be unequal to the feather of MA’at. It needs to be said that no one suffers the “second death” from the extant writings- all enter the realm of Osiris. This Egyptian belief is in agreement with Saint Paul: “even so in Christ shall all be made alive”.
The second version of Hell is from the Orthodox Church. We quote extensively concerning the location of Heaven and Hell, so that we can be cannot be accused either of misunderstanding or of misrepresenting the Orthodox position.
For those who love the Lord, His Presence will be infinite joy, paradise and eternal life. For those who hate the Lord, the same Presence will be infinite torture, hell and eternal death. The reality for both the saved and the damned will be exactly the same when Christ “comes in glory”.
For those who love God and who love all creation in Him, the “consuming fire” of God will be radiant bliss and unspeakable delight.
[The] “fire” that will consume sinners at the coming of the Kingdom of God is the same “fire” that will shine with splendor in the saints.
[The Orthodox Church’s] spiritual teaching [is] that God does not punish man by some material fire or physical torment. God simply reveals Himself in the risen Lord Jesus in such a glorious way that no man can fail to behold His glory.
At the end of the ages God’s glorious love is revealed for all to behold in the face of Christ. Man’s eternal destiny—heaven or hell, salvation or damnation—depends solely on his response to this love.
Under the modern concept of the annihilation of souls, we are to accept the scenario that the dead are to be resurrected, for an unknown finite duration only for the damned to discover that they will soon be destroyed. The terror of this scenario, where potentially tens of billions of souls will soon to be extinguished, can be described as “horrible”, which reminds us of the passage of how “dreadful is this place”, Heaven's gate, and in the Vulgate Bible - “Quam terribilis est.” [Genesis 28:17]. Clearly, the idea of the annihilation of souls is comforting to only a select few.
The annihilation of souls conveniently ignores the fact that souls are not to be resurrected in the Christian tradition, but corpses. These resurrected bodies, not resurrected souls, are to be before God at the Final Judgement. That this teaching seemingly contradicts the belief that “flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven” is of no concern, as “we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”.
The annihilation of souls conveniently ignores the fact that souls are not to be resurrected in the Christian tradition, but corpses. These resurrected bodies, not resurrected souls, are to be before God at the Final Judgement. That this teaching seemingly contradicts the belief that “flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven” is of no concern, as “we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”.
Orthodox theologians have been careful to distinguish between God’s essence and His energies. God is incomprehensible in His essence. But God, who is love, allows us to know Him through His divine energies, those actions whereby He reveals Himself to us in creation, providence, and redemption. It is through the divine energies, therefore, that we achieve union with God.
The Gentle Researcher knows that in the Wonderful World of Occult Research™ definitive answers are rare as to be the exception rather than the rule, so it should come as no surprise that we offer no solution to the problematic inquiry into the two Hells.
We conclude with a quote from Apprentice Joe's "I will be Like the Most High" and our "Variations on a Theme in G Minor" [4:37-4:52]:
We conclude with a quote from Apprentice Joe's "I will be Like the Most High" and our "Variations on a Theme in G Minor" [4:37-4:52]:
Finally, on that great and dreadful day, should I be confronted with that terrible question,
either singularly or, ironically, by a chorus of Apprentices, of :
"Sethlon! Sethlon! Did you always know?"
I can only respond:
"Oh, no. No, I didn't. But, I believed. I believed."
either singularly or, ironically, by a chorus of Apprentices, of :
"Sethlon! Sethlon! Did you always know?"
I can only respond:
"Oh, no. No, I didn't. But, I believed. I believed."