When I read Revelation chapters 15 through 19. God is very often praised for bringing his judgment with fierce wrath and fury. Personally I don’t feel the weight of such a concept, but I’ll bet that Christian brothers and sisters around the world who have been suffering untold horrors for holding firm to the testimony of Jesus will be praising God for hell, and I will join with them. It’s no so much about the reality of hell itself, but rather the fact that God will judge the world with perfect righteousness, which involves hell.
G’day Geoff, you hell-raiser…
A member of our congregation is enthusiastic about Edward Donnelly’s Heaven and Hell and has been passing it around the church.
It is strong stuff, but clearly biblical. He says that properly understood we should and will praise God for hell, and cites several passages in Revelation.
I was in hell last week, but I’ve now graduated to heaven.
The author says we do not think of either topic enough, and when we do, our thoughts are often hugely affected by our surrounding culture and not informed by the Bible’s own teaching.
A closer look at the question reveals that I am asking you the question, so I am unaware of what contexts you might have for saying it. Hence the question ;-)
But if you’re interested, check my blog for why I was thinking about it
I don’t think praising God for hell is anywhere near close to praising God for sin.
The latter is the rebellion by the creatures.
The former is the punishment of unrepentant rebellious creatures, enabling a forever sin-free heaven, having justly dealt with the rebellion & the consequent rejection of Jesus’ death for us.
A closer look at the question reveals that I am asking <i>you</i> the question, so I am unaware of what contexts you might have for saying it. Hence the question ;-)
But if you’re interested, check my blog for why I was thinking about it
Praising God that some are destined for punishment is anathema to me. However, we can praise God that there is justice, and we can praise God even more that we will escape punishment because of Jesus.
I agree with Angus. God doesn’t actually want anyone to perish. As soon as we praise God for others being destined for punishment, we cast judgement on ourselves. We deserved it too. Justice is key.
Justice may be one key, but grace, mercy and love is/are also vital.
Yet as written in some of the posts above, the characters in the Book of the Revelation of St John the Divine do get very excited at the overthrow of Babylon, and at the display of both mercy/grace/love and justice. There is that satisfying finality at the final despatch of Satan, his beasts & those who follow him to hell, just as there is often a sense of satisfaction at the capture of the serial murderer etc in the crime shows on tv. The analogy fails miserably in so many ways, and yet there is the reassurance that God is in control, that the battle is over before it began (due to the suffering & death & resurrection of Jesus - who now triumphant, leads the army of the Lord). For those in the awful turmoil of persecution it comes with the thrust of a full blown southerly on a hot summer’s day. For those of us in more comfort, the concern for other humans makes us squirm.
Hell and judgment are certainly uncomfortable ideas. But isn’t judgement necessary for salvation? Only as I accept that my sin is judged in Christ’s death, can I be saved. And I will not be fully saved, made new, until my death, or Jesus’ return. Similarly, only through the separation and judgement of all evil can there be a new world, a new and perfect creation. I remember reading Isaiah, with its ‘balance’ of messages of judgement and salvation with this kind of idea in mind.
I feel that this sounds harsh and unfeeling, as if it’s ok that so many people will go to hell for the greater good, and realise it should stimulate me to evangelism. But who would want the world to continue indefinitely the way it is?
I praise God that salvation will be complete.
Come Lord Jesus!
