Hell is a place where the sinners get their limbs stuck in a horrible cycle of amputation and regrowth. This is one of the punishments for one’s evil deeds done in their life on earth. Demons whose job is to torment the souls in hell chop of people’s limbs and wait for the limbs to grow back so that they can chop them off once again.
The 6th Circle of Hell from Dante’s Inferno
Another fascinating illustration of hell is what happens to Judas Iscariot. If I recall Dante’s Inferno correctly, I remember that Judas received the highest form of punishment in hell and that is the punishment given to traitors. He is lied down on a busy road where people wearing heavy cloaks can walk all over him and trample him – again and again – for all eternity.
There’s a lot of stories and theories about Hell. Even Buddhism has a similar story of the endless cutting of the limbs. I guess someone there also read Dante eh? Furthermore, this tradition has punishments on endless boiling and burning of the person. Whatever it is, the punishments were all very very painful and it is going to go on forever.
Society uses these illustrations of hell to act as scare tactics in order to convince people to abandon evil and repent to doing good. Just recently, a friend of mine shared to me a website about a girl who was clinically dead and had the privilege of seeing the after life. She was escorted by angels to meet The Lord Jesus Himself and was taken to see both heaven and hell. What makes this story interesting is that she was brought back to life with all these after-life memories intact; and now, she is here to tell the world about them. Unsurprisingly, her views of hell resembled that of Dante’s Inferno where the poor souls trapped in there were constantly tormented and tortured by the full-time demons. Again, her message was that of: “Become good or else!”
We will continue to hear such stories and that is why I am here to remind you guys NOT to believe in these wild hear-says. It is good that people want to help make society a better place to live in, but the methods of going there are wrong because scare tactics do not work! Scare tactics are NOT Biblical and it is definitely NOT the style of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please do not misinterpret my article. I am for the development of societies of God ‘fearing’ people. I aim to fulfill God’s commandment of loving one another but fear will not drive people to love. In fact, the Bible is clear on how love is cultivated and shared in the Kingdom of God. Read through the verses below and tell me if there are any hints of fear or punishments (or the threats of hell) in them:
For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
-Psalm 92:4
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
-Romans 2:4
We love because He first loved us.
-1 John 4:19
It is clearly shown in God’s word that it is love and God’s wonderful works (not fear) that make us love each other. Or to be more accurate, it is the love of Christ that will make us love one another.
Jesus Christ could have come down on earth with all His glory as Lord and King of heaven and earth. He could have destroyed everyone who didn’t worship Him; but instead, The God of Love chose to come down as a carpenter (to restore us), as a healer (to lift us up), and as The Good Shepherd (to lead us to life eternal). He went around the earth preaching about forgiveness and everything that is good without frightening or threatening anyone.
Even when challenged to call on His angels to save Him, Jesus Christ refused to show His might because FEAR IS NOT HIS STYLE. Scare tactics do NOT work. Scare tactics do not create love. Instead of showcasing His power and awing people to fall on their knees, Jesus Christ showed mercy and forgiveness because:
Perfect love casts out fear. -1 John 14:18
We are all for loving one another but we have to be clear that scare tactics or Fear is not the way to get there. In fact, fear is the enemy! This is also one reason why the phrase ‘Fear not’ appears more than 300 times in the Bible (365 times?). So let us put an end to all these scare tactic nonsense and start focusing on what really matters. Let us focus on The One Person who made all heaven and everything good possible. The One who showed us what real love is on the cross – JESUS CHRIST.
To Him be all the glory and honor, forever and ever. Amen.
* Image taken from Google Images