Is God in Hell

[EssentialSacrifice]

Is God present in Hell or is hell in God's presence ...? How does omnipresence work here ?

wanted to get posted topic # changed too ... yeah, that's for you acb

[Storyteller]

Not sure.

I am pondering this as I had always thought that Hell was, in it`s simplest form, the absence of God. He cannot look upon sin so how can He be in Hell? If He was present in Hell, wouldn`t there then always be the hope of salvation for those in Hell? What if they choose Hell, repent and genuinely want to turn to God. Is it too late?

It`s a difficult because I do believe that God is everywhere. I just can`t see Him in Hell.

[RickD]

Jac was the one who got me thinking about this.

I'll just sit here until he responds...

Holding breath....

Turning blue....

[Storyteller]

Hurry up Jac!

Otherwise I`ll need to perform CPR.

[abelcainsbrother]

Is God present in Hell or is hell in God's presence ...? How does omnipresence work here ?

wanted to get posted topic # changed too ... yeah, that's for you acb

First off God can be anywhere he chooses to however he is not in hell,those who go to hell I believe are there without God's presence,hell was created for the devil and his angels,it is not God's will that any should perish,however after Jesus was crucified he went into hell to get the OT saints out of Abraham's bosom to take them to paradise which is now in heaven,he also got the keys to death,hell and the grave and preached to those who were in hell,however in the future those in hell will be brought up out of hell to face God's judgment at the great white throne judgment so either God or angels goes into hell to bring them there to be judged.Yeah it is angels,so I don't think God ever goes into hell again.I realize some people don't believe in hell fire and are into this annihilationism teaching,but I believe it is watering down what God's word says. Jesus taught on hell more than he did heaven and used the word fire when teaching about it,so I believe it. I think some people accept annihilationism because they think of loved ones going there,but God will wipe away all tears when we get to heaven.

[RickD]

Hurry up Jac!

Otherwise I`ll need to perform CPR.

CPR=Catholic to Protestant Reformation?

[Storyteller]

Hurry up Jac!

Otherwise I`ll need to perform CPR.

CPR=Catholic to Protestant Reformation?

[EssentialSacrifice]

IMO, God has to be there. He is the reason there is a "there" and because He is the first cause He must be involved in all things everywhere. There is no place in which God is not present. God, the Creator of all things, maintains everything in existence and knows everything from all eternity. That is, I think, the very point of hell. God is present as an eternal reminder of His Sovereignty to all in hell, those angels who rebelled and can now never get away from His presence, His power. Those of us who end up there will also be aware of the eternal power of His wrath, forever reminding them of His presence but never the love. *

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said; "Love without pain is Heaven, Pain with love is Purgatory, Pain without love is Hell" - for me, that kinda sums up the "active" presence of God in each place/state.

* what a price, again, for God to pay. He will, as He is, always be aware of the torment men have created for themselves by freely denying His love. God will live with His decision of justice, enduring the pain of all men's decision of "non serviam" now in hell, eternally, all so we might have life eternal with love and desire for love forever. Eternal communion with Him. IMO, If the price paid is any indication of the purchase made, how wonderful heaven must be.



_

[PaulSacramento]

Hell is the absence of God so, no, I don't believe God is there in the sense that there is a tangible presence of God.
God being Omnipresent doesn't mean God is everywhere, it means God is everywhere that God choose to be.
We have to be careful when viewing God's "omni" status so that we don't make it more than what it is.
God can't be where the very definition of that place is a place where God isn't.

Now, that said, Yes, God sustains all and is in all as the sustainer BUT that does NOT equate to being in a specific place in a specific way that is contrary to God's nature.

[EssentialSacrifice]

Hell is the absence of God

I don't think so Paul... IMO the absence of God is impossible. Isn't the absence of God what there was before the big bang ? So if there was nothing in His absence, how can there be something in His absence. How can it be both ways without some loss of meaning for one or the other ... or both !

I don't believe God is there in the sense that there is a tangible presence of God.

I see this as the absolute necessity to affirm hell's torture ... the absence of God's love cannot be felt without His tangible presence and power being present in the first place. They may only feel His wrath, but even that isn't possible without His direct tangible participation.

God being Omnipresent doesn't mean God is everywhere,

Question: "What does it mean that God is omnipresent?"

Answer: The prefix omni- comes from the Latin meaning “all.” So, to say that God is omnipresent is to say that God is present everywhere.http://www.gotquestions.org/God-omnipresent.html

We have to be careful when viewing God's "omni" status so that we don't make it more than what it is.

or perhaps less ...

it means God is everywhere that God choose to be.

and if He chooses not to be there, what is there if He isn't ? Can Hell even exist without His eternal support and if so ... how ? Can any place exist without the presence of God ?

God can't be where the very definition of that place is a place where God isn't

do we have this as a "very" definition of hell ? The place where God isn't ... is there such a place ? How could you even describe where God is not ? I can define a place (hell) where God's love is not and wrath is, but I can't fathom a place where He is not.

[PaulSacramento]

I just don't see hell that way, that's all.
An analogy:
Whereas heaven is light, hell is darkness and darkness is the absence of light.
As for God being present everywhere, is he present in the act of committing evil?
God's Omnipresence has only a small bit to do with His actual location.
It is about Him sustaining all for than being "somewhere".

God sends no one to hell, people go their because they choose to.
They reject Him and as such "close" themselves off to God.

Again, that is my view, your milage may vary.

[PaulSacramento]

By the way:

Isn't the absence of God what there was before the big bang ?

No, there was never a time when God wasn't.
God is always "there" but "there" isn't a specific location.
God is not in the hearts of those that reject Him BUT that doesn't mean He isn't "there", know what I mean?
Maybe you need to explain to me what you mean by God being "somewhere".

[RickD]

http://www.gotquestions.org/God-in-hell.html

[RickD]

Omnipresent


God's presence is continuous throughout all creation. Whether hell is a physical place of torment, or purely spiritual, hell was created by God, for Satan and the fallen Angels.

So, if God's presence is continuous throughout all of His creation, then wouldn't that mean God's presence is in hell?

[RickD]

B. W.,

You've been to hell and back. Yes or no, is God present in hell?