Do the condemned burn in Hell?

                                         Do The Condemned burn in Hell?

Eileen Renders

  Have you ever contemplated the consequences of Hell? Which of us will be condemned on the final Judgement Day? Although we often hear that hell is a place where those commanded to hell for all eternity are continuously being burned by fire. The God I know, however, is not a cruel, or merciless punisher. And to our understanding, when we die, we give up our earthly bodies and are left with our souls. Also, I have not come across anything in the bible that affirms that the wicked will be sentenced to burning for eternity.

   If this is true, how then are the condemned punished be it Hell or as often referred to in the bible as Haiti? History and the Catholic bible tell us that at the time of our Lord, the word “fire” had multiple meanings. Fire symbolizes God’s presence, judgment, purification, and transformation. Fire was also highly relative in biblical sacrifices and rituals as well.

   When we carry our cross on earth, accept it, and offer it up to God as He suffered and died to save our souls, as He promised, we too will rise again, enter into God’s kingdom, and be reunited with our bodies as we share in the glory of God.

   Therefore, to perceive that in God’s judgment of us on the final day as being cast into hell where one might suffer the constant and continuous pain of being burnt is not confirmed as true. And because fire also means purification that tends to draw my attention more toward Purgatory, a temporary cleansing of our souls.

   If hell is for eternity, and it has been mentioned in various bible verses, the harshest punishment a soul can experience is the isolation of ever seeing, hearing, or being with Christ. Never to see family members again, or other loved ones who have gone to heaven. Hell is constant isolation, full of remorse, regret, and self-hatred. It is an emotional hell without an opportunity to redeem one’s self.  

   Therefore, when God provided us with the Ten Commandments to live by, we must remember and respect that they are God’s Laws, and the only way to heaven. We are called to imitate the ways of the Saints, to become a disciple, and to serve the Lord. When we place glory, money, status, material comforts, sex, drunkenness, and other sins as our choice, we are essentially choosing to follow Satan, the King of Darkness who will also be cast into hell for all eternity on the last day. In reflecting on the last day, we must all accept we have a limited opportunity to gain the acceptance of our Creator as we are all terminal.