Hell and the Near-Death
Experience
As
with heaven,
near-death experiencers have witnessed numerous
variations of hell realms. These hell realms
are not for judgment nor punishment, nor are
they eternal. They are states of mind which
acts as a "time out" condition for reflection,
education and purification of negative thought
patterns. We can also witness numerous manifestations
of these hell realms right here on earth. You
can see people rotting away in prison; alcoholics
passed out on Skid Row; addicts out of their
minds in crack houses; people killing each other
out of hatred; unsatisfied people living in
luxury; all kinds of hellish conditions involving
unnecessary suffering. While hell realms can
be seen on earth, they are merely a reflection
of the inner hell within people. Hell realms
in the spirit world are the perfect outward
manifestation of the inner hellish condition
within people. This is because when we die,
we "step into" the inner spirit realm we have
cultivated within us our entire life. And because
time does
not exist in the spirit realms, a person's
stay in these realms can seem like an eternity
or a second. People in these hellish spirit
realms remain in this condition for however
long best serves their
spiritual development. The way out of these
hellish realms is to have a willingness to see
the light
and seek love. Eventually, like
prodigal sons, every suffering soul in these
hellish realms will see the light and heaven.
Between
the earth realm and the heavenly realms, there
exists two hellish realms known as (1)
the earthbound realm (which this article is
about) and (2)
the Void.
Both of these realms can be considered hell
because they are the two darker levels. This
web page will focus only on the earthbound realm.
The earthbound realm is a hellish dimension
that overlaps the physical realm. It is a dimension
where souls who are bound by some strong earthly
fixation, may remain indefinitely until they
are able to extract themselves from this fixation.
After death, most souls expand very quickly
through the dark hellish realms of the earthbound
realm and the void, by means of the tunnel and
on to higher realms.
The
following are highlights concerning the earthbound
hell which will be described. It is a state
of mind where earthly, physical desires cannot
be satisfied and is due to a lack of spiritual
development. This hellish state of mind is the
result of living a hellish life. The ways to escape from the
earthbound realm will be discussed and the reasons
why negativity must be removed in order to enter
heaven. NDE examples of the earthbound realm,
including traditional hell, fire and brimstone
NDEs, will be presented. Religious descriptions
of the earthbound realm and scriptures suggesting
universal salvation will be provided here. Even
more Biblical and NDE evidence
of universal salvation
can be found at the link provided here.
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Table
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1.
Hell is a state of mind |
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"Hell is a state of mind. When we die, we are
bound by what we think." (Angie
Fenimore)
"Hell is a psychological condition which represents
the hellish inner thoughts and desires within
some souls. In hell, souls become uninhibited
and their hellish condition is fully manifested.
No demons are there to inflict punishment. Each
soul acts out their own anger and hatred by
warring and tormenting others." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"The hell of hells is knowing you were your
own devil." (Arthur
Yensen)
"It is your mind which creates hell." (Dr.
Timothy Leary)
"Hell refers to levels of negative thought-forms
that reside in close proximity to the earth
realm. It is where we go to work out, or remain
within, our hang-ups, addictions, fears, guilt,
angers, rage, regrets, self-pity, arrogance,
or whatever else blocks us from the power of
our own light." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Hell is a level of consciousness which can
be experienced in or out of the body." (Arthur
Yensen)
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2. Hell is having
earthly desires that can't be satisfied
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"Hell is a place where everyone retains the
physical desires they were fixated on without
a way to satisfy them. Hell is real hell for
anyone who lives only to satisfy their selfish
desires." (Arthur
Yensen)
"One level of hell exists right here on earth
where an earthly desire is craved but cannot
be satisfied." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
"Hell contains people who have been alcoholics
or drug addicts, who find these cravings still
with them after death. They stay near the earth
to be near alcoholics or drug addicts who are
still in the physical body, in order to participate
vicariously in the sensations which alcohol
and drugs give. They can be helped in the world
beyond to clear their soul bodies of these cravings
so that they, too, may go on and progress. However,
this is a long and tedious process." (Margaret
Tweddell)
There is no geographic hell. We build our hells
right here in our own lives. (Harry
Hone)
"The quality of life after death for a suicide
is determined by their motive for killing themselves.
Those who kill themselves in order to hurt someone,
get revenge, or who kill themselves out of hatred
for someone else, will haunt the living by being
aware of every horrible consequence their suicide
had on others. Those who, because of mental
illness, confusion, or a terminal illness, take
their own life, are allowed many opportunities
from God to grow in love just as any other person
would who had not committed suicide." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
Earthbound souls linger around the living, usually
to try to satisfy a physical desire. (Betty
Bethards)
If an addiction isn't conquered before death,
it could keep your soul earthbound. (Ruth
Montgomery)
Your personality - your likes and dislikes,
your hopes, your fears-are still attached to
you, although in a more nebulous form that when
you are on earth in a physical body. (Margaret
Tweddell)
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3.
Hell is caused by a lack of spiritual development |
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"Hell is a lack of wisdom and not moving forward
to progress. Hell is not a place." (Cecil)
"Hell is a spiritual condition we create by
being away from God until we choose to return
to God. Hell is a spiritual condition that is
totally devoid of love." (Sandra
Rogers)
"Hell is the pain, anguish, hurt and anger that
you have caused others or who suffered as a
result of your actions/words to others. Hell
is what you have created for yourself within
your soul by turning your back on unconditional
love, compassion and peace." (Tina)
"What people call hell is really a spiritual
time-out condition in which souls reflect and
work out the things that blocked them from the
power of their own light." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Concerning hell, heat is molecules in motion,
while cold is their lack of motion. Likewise,
love is a fast vibration of the soul, while
hate is a slower vibration. Complete love would
be God, while complete hate would be death,
leaving the soul extinct." (Arthur
Yensen)
"Heaven and hell are spiritual states of being.
They are not static states but are states in
which there can be growth and progress toward
ultimate wholeness of being." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"The difference between life on earth and life
in the spirit is that your spirit world corresponds
to your inner nature." (Nora
Spurgin)
"As there are degrees of heaven or hell on earth,
so there are degrees of heaven or hell in the
spiritual world." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"After death people gravitate into homogenous
groups according to the rate of their soul's
vibrations much like throwing a small pebble
into a threshing machine. It goes into the box
that fits its proper size and weight. After
death, we are sorted by the high or low vibrations
of our soul. Everyone goes where they fit in!
High vibrations indicate love and spiritual
development, while low vibrations indicate debasement
and evil. All one has to do is to love so unselfishly
that their soul-vibrations rise high enough
to fit into heaven." (Arthur
Yensen)
"An extreme neglect of spiritual matters on
earth can result in an earthbound condition.
This is the condition people often associate
with ghosts." (Dr.
Michael Newton)
"People who have an orientation of hate, for
instance, find themselves unable to appreciate
a realm of love and harmony. Therefore, they
continue in their state of bitterness and are 'closed'
to the glory which exists around them." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"Those who have stunted their spiritual growth
through an undeveloped or misdirected lifestyle,
have led a purely self-centered life or have
hurt other people, their spiritual environment
will reflect something of these realities. A
self-centered life on earth places one in an
area of the spirit world with like-minded people
who have yet to learn the value of unselfishness
for the advancement of the soul." (Nora
Spurgin)
"The spiritual state of being you have on earth
is the spiritual state you take with you to
the world beyond when you die. There is no sudden
metamorphosis from an idle person into an active
person, from a nonreligious person into a religious
person, from a money-centered person into a
God-centered person. This is not an automatic
thing." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"Environments distant from God are said to be
dark, cold and inhospitable. Indeed, they reflect
the spirits of those dwelling there." (Nora
Spurgin)
"We create our own hell within us while we live
on earth. After death, we step into this hell."
(Kevin
Williams)
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4.
Hell is caused by living a hellish life |
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"In the spirit world, everyone lives in the
kind of a heaven or hell that they have prepared
for themselves while on earth." (Arthur
Yensen)
"People are in hell before they die. At death,
we are gathered together with those who think
as we do." (Angie
Fenimore)
"The general rule of thumb is this: hellish
life, hellish afterlife - heavenly life, heavenly
afterlife. Death will not change a hellish life
into a heavenly afterlife, nor does it change
a heavenly life into a hellish afterlife." (Dr.
Melvin Morse)
"Occasionally, the encounter with light is perceived
as a reflection of the fires of hell." (IANDS
FAQ)
"Physical desires can be carried over into the
afterlife but physical desires cannot be satisfied
there. This can create a hellish condition for
those who have them." (Nora
Spurgin)
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5.
Hell is neither condemnation nor judgment |
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"There is no condemnation in hell, only the
outworking of our own misjudgments, mistakes,
misalignments, or misappropriations." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Those with too many negative thought patterns
might flee the light of God after death because
they are too ashamed or too afraid to have their
inner thoughts and negative natures revealed
to everyone." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
"After his death, Jesus descended into the lower
afterlife regions to 'unlock' the gates of hell.
But souls still remaining there - for them -
the gates are locked from the inside. Nevertheless,
NDE evidence reveals Jesus continues to rescue
souls from hell during a near-death experience."
(Kevin
Williams)
"I saw the reasons for all of my actions and
understood why I did what I had done. There
was a place for all of my positive and negative
actions. There was no action that was necessarily
wrong, but there were actions I took that did
not enhance positive growth." (David
Oakford)
"In hell, we have the opportunity to either
revel in our folly or come to grips with the
reality of consequences -- that every action
has a reaction, what is inflicted on another
can be returned in kind. This is not a punishment
for our sins but a confrontation with any distortion
of our sense of values and priorities." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Just knowing the bad mistakes you made through
your carelessness or your selfishness is a hell.
You don't need a devil prodding you with
a fork." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"God does not condemn anyone to hell and there
is no eternal damnation. We have the ability
to condemn ourselves to the hell we create within
ourselves." (Kevin
Williams)
"The God of love suffers for those in darkness,
ignorance and misery." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Many people believe that those who don't
give verbal assent to Jesus are cast headlong
into eternal fire to burn forever. It should
be common sense to anyone that a God of love
would never treat people this way. As Jesus
said, even an evil father knows how to give
good things to children." (Kevin
Williams)
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6.
How to escape from the earthbound realm of hell |
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While Benedict was in hell, he called out to
the light and the light opened up and formed
a tunnel that insulated him from all that fear
and pain. (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
"The way out of these hellish realms is to have
a willingness to see the light and seek love
for others and God." (Angie
Fenimore)
To escape the darkness, you must cry out to
God. Then the light will appear. (Rev.
Howard Storm)
"From what may anyone be saved? Only from themselves!
That is, their individual hell. They dig it
with their own desires." (Edgar
Cayce)
"The gates of hell are open. Those in hell will
eventually join up, link hands, and walk out
of hell together." (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
"We stay in hell for however long best serves
our development. We do not leave until we have
changed our attitudes and perceptions." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Souls in the hellish realms do not have the
same powers to progress and achieve joy that
others with more light in the higher afterlife
realms have. Their progress is limited - a result
of divine justice. However, these souls can
choose to grow if they wish." (RaNelle
Wallace)
"The living have auras of light surrounding
their bodies. If the aura becomes distorted
through alcohol or drugs, an earthbound soul
can temporarily possess the body." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
"There are no permanent sinners. Even the saddest
example of humanity can become the greatest."
(Harry
Hone)
"Accept the greater power around you and let
go of the earth and its desires." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"Based on a soul's desire and willingness,
those in hell are given an opportunity for an
upward journey." (Nora
Spurgin)
"To appreciate heaven well it is good for a
man to have some fifteen minutes of hell." (Will
Carleton)
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7.
Negativity must be removed to enter heaven |
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"At this point, I could feel this group of beings
eliminate or pull from me the negative energy
of my life in the physical world and fill me
with love beyond what I can describe." (Sherry
Gideon)
"After death, if a soul has been too bad, they
go to a realm of lower vibrations where their
kind of thoughts can live. If they entered heaven,
they would be annihilated by the Master-Vibration
of God. This is because souls gravitate into
groups according to the rate of their soul's
vibrations. If the percent of discord in a soul
is small, it can be eliminated by God; then
the remaining good can live on in heaven. However,
if the percentage of bad were too high, this
couldn't be done, and the person would have
to gravitate to a lower level and live with
people of his own kind. Birds of a feather,
flock together."(Arthur
Yensen)
"Since I had lived such a totally self-serving
existence, I was in a hellish state of indescribable
agony and sorrow. I was in shear agony. I still
remember being on my knees while this blinding
light broke and crushed my false-ego. This breaking
process was extremely painful." (Daniel
Rosenblit)
"Negative thoughts cannot be expressed in the
heavenly realms - only positive ones." (Ned
Dougherty)
"God is the Master-Vibration who neutralizes
all negative thoughts so that you think only
the good thoughts, such as love, freedom and
happiness." (Arthur
Yensen)
"God's love looks at all of us throughout
the eyes of eternity. God's overriding desire
is to purify the darkness of our souls, irrespective
of the suffering God has to put us through to
achieve that end. However, it will greatly minimize
our suffering if we learn to accept instead
of fighting against our situation in life."
(Daniel
Rosenblit)
"There are earthbound spirits of low vibrations,
whom we may regard as devils because they annoy
us through mental telepathy. These demons tune
in on us through our low vibrations of hate,
fear and greed. They can be tuned out with unselfish
love, or if necessary be chased away by the
stronger spirit of Jesus Christ." (Arthur
Yensen)
"The only thing that burns in hell is the part
of you that won't let go of your life: your
memories, your attachments. They burn them all
away, but they're not punishing you, they're
freeing your soul." (Meister
Eckhart)
"The purpose of religion is not so much to get
us into heaven, or to keep us out of hell, but
to put a little bit of heaven into us, and take
the hell out of us." (E.
Stanley Jones)
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8.
NDE examples of the earthbound realm |
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The following are summaries
of the NDE accounts of those who experienced
this earthbound region for themselves.
The following is the testimony
of
George Ritchie's tour of
the Earthbound Realm (archived):
Jesus took Ritchie to a large city on earth
where he observed earthbound souls stalking
the living for one reason or another. One earthbound
soul begged in vain for a cigarette. A young
man who committed suicide begged his parents
in vain for forgiveness. In a house, Ritchie
was shown the soul of a boy following a living
teenage girl and begging for forgiveness despite
the fact that the girl was completely unaware
of the boy's presence. Jesus told Ritchie
that the boy committed suicide and was chained
to every consequence of his act. Then Ritchie
saw group of drunken sailors in a bar with earthbound
alcoholics trying in vain to get a drink. Ritchie
is horrified when he witnessed a sailor pass
out and an earthbound alcoholic quickly possess
his body. Jesus and Ritchie then viewed a realm
that was jammed with hordes of angry, frustrated,
and miserable earthbound souls who were locked
in fights to the death. Yet, nobody could be
injured. Ritchie realized that this was hell
where souls are enslaved to habits of destructive
thought-patterns. He also witnessed frustrated
souls attempting to perform sexual acts. He
saw souls arguing over religion or politics
and trying to kill those who disagreed with
them. Whatever anyone thought was instantly
apparent to everyone there. Most of the thoughts
he heard were thoughts such as, "I told
you so!" and "I always knew!"
and "Didn't I warn you!" Ritchie
became aware that Jesus did not condemn them
and that he had only love for them. The only
thing that kept each soul from leaving this
realm was that they all shared the same kind
of thoughts. This created a bond where soul
of similar feathers can flock together. Ritchie
wonders if these souls had fled the light that
showed up the darkness of their souls. Jesus
then takes Ritchie away from there. (Dr.
George Ritchie)
While in the earthbound realm, Howard Pittman
watched living people going about their daily
pursuit and completely unaware that they were
being stalked by beings from the spirit world.
Pittman refers to this earthbound realm as the
first heaven. He was totally flabbergasted as
he watched in horror demons in all shapes and
forms moving at will among the humans. Pittman
was shown an employee's lounge on earth
where a young man and young woman were talking
and laughing. Between them was a grotesque demon
who was unseen by the two. Pittman learned that
this was a demon of lust. Pittman watched in
astonishment as the demon entered the body of
the young man. Pittman was told that the demon
made himself desirable to the young man and
he accepted by his own free will to violate
his space. (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
David Oakford saw dark souls who were earthbound
and who refused to go to the light. They prey
on the energies of the living in an attempt
to prevent the evolution of their spirit. David
learned that we protected from these dark ones
as long as we chose to focus on the love within
us. David noticed that the dark ones did not
even try to affect him. They just gave him nasty
looks and went away. David was told that whenever
he sees one, he was to tell them to go to the
light. The light is a porthole to the place
all souls go if they choose to go. David learned
that higher beings know where to go and what
to do to help an earthbound soul so they may
advance themselves if they so choose to do so.
(David
Oakford)
Josiane saw faces rushing toward her with incredible
speed. They would race toward her face, expanding
and then dissolving. Face after face washed
over her and she is terrified. She drifted along
and was unable to keep her eyes open. She wondered
who these people were. She recognized some of
them as people she knew who had died. The whole
room was filled with spirits and they would
hover near her and look into her eyes. She tried
to push them away and she fought them. This
experience seemed to go on forever. She identified
these people as restless spirits. Their faces
were twisted with pain and they seemed lost.
She was frightened to see them around her. Suddenly,
spirits with glowing faces appeared to her.
They reflect a gentle and powerful light which
reminded her of pictures of beautiful angels.
(Josiane
Antonette)
"Emanuel Swedenborg's description
of the first stage after death is a remarkable
description of the earthbound realm:
After death, there are
various states that souls must pass through
before arriving in heaven or hell. The first
state involves their more outward aspects and
the second [the
void]
involves their more inward aspects. The first
state after death is very much like their state
in the physical world, since at that point they
are similarly involved in outward matters. This
is why some souls are unaware that they are
dead. (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
This is an example of a person who is
so sure that there is no God and no hereafter
that he treats others badly while on earth and
he feels no moral obligation to lend a helping
hand or to be a decent citizen. When he makes
the transition he is angry and tempestuous as
he finds himself in a situation of his own making,
surrounded by other greedy souls who, because
they are in like situation, welcome him gleefully
to the hell that they have created for themselves.
He tries to break out of the fiendish group,
but they surround him. He is utterly miserable,
for he now begins to see the folly of his ways
but does not know how to avert his fate. He
is left there until his own remorse for sinful
ways begins to penetrate his being and he acknowledges
to himself that he wasted a lifetime, a rare
privilege, by thinking only of himself.
After he reaches full repentance
he is then able to free himself of the unrepentant
creatures around him, and for a long time thereafter
he searches his own soul to review the past
mistakes. This is sometimes a long, drawn-out
process because he will have to make his way
alone. Only he is able to assess his wrongs
and seek forgiveness, although there are many
here willing to lend a hand whenever he reaches
out to them for it. (Ruth
Montgomery)
People who die as an alcoholic may hover
around people on earth who drink too much, lusting
after the pleasures of alcoholism yet unable
to break the bond of habit which bound them
to their physical bodies. The same with heavy
smokers or drug users, there or here, or the
sex maniacs who take advantage of others to
appease the bodily craving for intercourse.
This is a very important lesson which we learn
on this side. To escape the perpetual cycle
of rebirth into physical form, we must erase
the ties, the shackles which bind us to satiation
of the physical body. So try to lick the bad
habits while on earth. It is easier by far than
to come unloose from them on earth. Those who
neither drink nor smoke nor use drugs nor lust
after sex will be free of those shackles on
the other side. It is easier while in physical
form to break those shackles than it is to undo
them on the other side, where no temptations
are put in our way. Thus, there is no reward
for behaving correctly here in spirit, because
there is nothing to tempt us otherwise. The
hard school is in the physical one, and there
it is there that we must meet and overcome the
temptations. (Ruth
Montgomery)
"A friend of mine who had recently taken his
life came through and did not know how to go
into the light. I kept telling him to go forward
to the light, but he was afraid of judgment.
He couldn't forgive himself. Also, he was
having a problem with the fact that after he
had taken his own life, his spirit obviously
lingered around the scene of the act. He could
not overcome the memory of his father's
discovering him, and that was haunting him emotionally
to a tremendous degree in the next dimension.
What he and many of us don't understand
is that there is judgment there, but it is not
done by God on a throne. Judgment rests basically
with yourself. It can take eons of time as we
understand it before they go into the light.
It depends on the person." (George
Anderson)
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9.
NDE examples of traditional hellfire and brimstone |
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"Why do some people have NDEs that resembles
the fire and brimstone hell of the Bible while
other people describe a different kind of hell?
The quick answer is that there are many kinds
of hells and many kinds of heavens. A person's
situation in life and after death is based upon
many factors including: perception, perspective,
cultural and religious background, spirituality
or lack thereof, and education. If you examine
enough hellish NDEs that resemble the traditional
hellfire and brimstone, you will notice that
they mostly occur to fundamentalist Christians.
Life after death often means "getting what
you expect", that is, if you believe heaven
is a place where you float on a cloud and play
a harp, you just might get that when you die.
And only when you realize that this kind of
heaven is a fantasy-to-be-abandoned will you
find reality different. In other words, reality
is what you make it. This applies on earth as
it is in heaven. If we believe that such a hell
exists, it actually does exist - in our own
minds. And since the afterlife is the realm
of the mind and spirit, these hellish conditions
actually exist merely by creating them in our
own mind. This is why it is critical that we
be careful what we put in our minds and what
we build there. For more information about the
differences between NDEs visit my
NDE Differences page."
(Kevin
Williams)
Rev. Kenneth Hagin descended into a pit until
a darkness totally surrounded him. The farther
down he went, the darker and hotter it became
until he could see the fingers of flames playing
on the dark walls of the pit. In front of him,
beyond the entrance into hell, he saw giant,
orange flames. He was pulled toward hell like
a magnet pulls metal. He was aware of some kind
of creature at his right side, which he didn't
dare look at, that escorted him toward the entrance
to hell. When he did, a powerful voice spoke
which caused everything to shake. Kenneth then
floated back up through the darkness to the
top of the pit. (Rev.
Kenneth Hagin)
Don Brubaker travels through a tunnel while
a large, eerie red eye peers at him which he
realizes to be his own. While in the tunnel,
he is stricken with panic and believes he is
in hell. A voice, which he identifies to be
God's, tells him not to fear. He has been
chosen to write about what he is experiencing.
He is told he must testify about the reality
of hell. Afterward, he is drawn into a vast,
flaming oven filled with other people. They
laugh as they realize the flames are not painful.
Suddenly, he is alone in the dark with God communicating
to him. In an instant, he is aware of everyone
in his life whom he was ever angry with. Afterward,
he floats in a glorious deep blue sky. Christ
appears shining a tremendous amount of light.
Christ gives Don a choice of staying or returning
to the physical world. Thoughts of his family
cause him to choose to return. Before he returns,
Don is taken back in time to witness the crucifixion
of Christ. (Don
Brubaker)
Other hell, fire, and brimstone NDEs:
Sarah
and
George Lennox
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10.
Various religious descriptions of the earthbound
realm |
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Buddhism:
The deceased eventually enters a realm of hungry
ghosts were the deceased have huge stomachs
and throats the size of pinholes. Because of
this, they wander around in a constant state
of unsatisfied ravenous desire. Eventually,
the unliberated deceased encounters the Lord
of Death for judgment. The Lord of Death holds
up before him the Mirror of Karma where every
good and evil act is vividly reflected. Now
demons approach and begin to inflict torments
and punishments upon the deceased for their
evil deeds. Even here the deceased can attain
liberation by recognizing this. The deceased
who is still not liberated after the Judgment
will now be drawn remorselessly toward reincarnation.
At some point, liberation is no longer possible
and the deceased are instructed on how to choose
the best womb for a favorable reincarnation.
(Buddhism)
"Be not fond of the dull smoke-colored light
from hell." (Tibetan
Book of the Dead)
Hinduism:
Each of the dimensions of the Great Mandala
of the Cosmos represents a quality of energy,
or light. Each dimension of this Mandala, which
moves out from the central Whiteness, are infinite
numbers of possible worlds and various kinds
of embodiment. The dimension which we live in
now is on the outskirts of this Great Mandala.
Dimensions even farther away from the center
may be called "hells" where there
is less awareness, less possibilities, than
the dimension we live in now. (Hinduism)
Islam: Muslim
theologians, particularly those of the Asharite
school, believed that if a believer entered
hell, God could forgive his sins or nonconformities
and remove him, either immediately or after
a certain period during which imperfections
had been burned away. The basis for this doctrine
is the Hadith: "He shall make men come
out of hell after they have been burned and
reduced to cinders." In addition to this
purgatory of suffering, there is another Muslim
limbo - al-A'raf (the "heights"
or "ramparts"), described in a chapter
of the Koran by that name - in which those souls
reside that do not merit damnation yet are unable
to enter paradise. (Muslim)
Judaism:
In rabbinical thought, the model for heaven
was Eden. The rabbinic word for hell, Gehenna,
is taken from the name of a valley of fire where
children were said to be sacrificed as burnt
offerings to Baal and Moloch (Semitic deities).
Jewish legend paints hell with all of the vividness
that medieval Christians did, even associating
particular tortures with particular sins. (Judaism
Hebrew scriptures showing
God does not punish people forever:
|
|
a. |
"For
no one is cast off by the Lord
forever. Though he brings grief,
he will show compassion, so
great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring
affliction or grief to anyone."
(Lamentations
3:31-33)
|
b. |
"I will
not accuse them forever, nor
will I always be angry, for
then they would faint away because
of me -- the very people I have
created. I was enraged by their
sinful greed; I punished them,
and hid my face in anger, yet
they kept on in their willful
ways. I have seen their ways,
but I will heal them; I will
guide them and restore comfort
to Israel’s mourners." (Isaiah
57:16-18)
|
c. |
"The
Lord will lay bare his holy
arm in the sight of all the
nations, and all the ends of
the earth will see the salvation
of our God." (Isaiah
52:10)
|
d. |
"Who
is a God like you, who pardons
sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy."
(Micah
7:18)
|
|
|
|
Gnosticism:
Christian Gnostics viewed living on earth as
a kind of hell. Gnosticism saw human beings
as trapped in a cycle of reincarnation and believed
that even suicide could not release one from
bondage to the flesh. In marked contrast with
orthodox Christian belief, bodily resurrection
was not viewed as part of the scheme of redemption.
Rather, only the destruction of the body and
of all Satan's visible creation - which
is hell - was adequate to ensure salvation of
the soul and its ascent to heaven. (Gnosticism)
Christianity:
Scriptures showing souls do not stay in hell
forever:
|
|
a. |
"[Jesus]
went and preached to the spirits
in prison who disobeyed long
ago when God waited patiently
in the days of Noah while the
ark was being built." (1
Peter 3:18-20)
Also, "For this is the reason
the gospel was preached even
to those who are now dead, so
that they might be judged according
to human standards in regard
to the body, but live according
to God in regard to the spirit."
(1
Peter 4:6) See also "The
Harrowing of Hell."
|
b. |
"That
servant who knows his master's
will and does not get ready
or does not do what his master
wants will be beaten with many
blows. But the one who does
not know and does things deserving
punishment will be beaten with
few blows." (Luke
12:47-48)
|
c. |
"Settle
matters quickly with your adversary
who is taking you to court.
Do it while you are still with
him on the way, or he may hand
you over to the judge, and the
judge may hand you over to the
officer, and you may be thrown
into prison. I tell you the
truth, you will not get out
until you have paid the last
penny." (Matthew
5:22-26)
|
d. |
It should
be difficult for any Christian
to honestly conceive of a God
of infinite love and mercy to
permit even one soul to be tortured
forever in hell. It is common
sense that a few minutes in
hell is enough for even the
hardest of sinners to change
their mind and repent. And what
kind of God would create someone
knowing that he will ultimately
throw that person in hell to
be tortured forever? It should
be obvious that it would be
better for God to not even create
such a person. If an evil father
treats his children better than
this, how much more so God?
Jesus stated: "Which of
you, if his son asks for bread,
will give him a stone? Or if
he asks for a fish, will give
him a snake? If you, then, though
you are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father
in heaven give good gifts to
those who ask him!" (Matthew
7:9-11)
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11.
Hell is for temporary purification (like purgatory)
not eternal damnation |
|
The early
Church developed the concept of
purgatory based on particular passages of
scripture. |
|
a. |
According
to
St. Isidore
of Seville
the Church taught that in the
next life: "Some sins will
be forgiven and purged away
by a certain purifying fire."
(Deord. creatur., c. xiv, n.
6)
|
b. |
St. Augustine
also argued: "Some sinners
are not forgiven either in this
world or in the next, would
not be truly said unless there
were other [sinners] who, though
not forgiven in this world,
are forgiven in the world to
come" (De Civ. Dei, XXI,
xxiv).
|
c. |
The same
interpretation is given by
Gregory
the Great
(Dial., IV, xxxix);
St. Bede
(commentary on this text);
St. Bernard
(Sermo lxvi in Cantic., n.11)
and other eminent theological
writers.
|
d. |
Origen,
the first great Church father,
taught that purgatory is the
true description of hell. He
believed if people depart this
life with lighter faults, they
are condemned to fire which
burns away the lighter materials,
preparing their souls for the
kingdom of God, where nothing
defiled may enter. He wrote:
"For if on the foundation of
Christ you have built not only
gold and silver and precious
stones; but also wood and hay
and stubble, what do you expect
when the soul shall be separated
from the body? Would you enter
into heaven with your wood and
hay and stubble and thus defile
the kingdom of God; or on account
of these hindrances would you
remain without and receive no
reward for your gold and silver
and precious stones? Neither
is this just. It remains then
that you be committed to the
fire which will burn the light
materials; for our God to those
who can comprehend heavenly
things is called a cleansing
fire. But this fire consumes
not the creature, but what the
creature has himself built,
wood, and hay and stubble. It
is manifest that the fire destroys
the wood of our transgressions
and then returns to us the reward
of our great works." (P.
G., XIII, col. 445, 448).
Origen
based this statement on the
following Bible verse: "It
will be revealed with fire,
and the fire will test the quality
of each man's work. If what
he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. If it is
burned up, he will suffer loss;
he himself will be saved, but
only as one escaping through
the flames." (1
Corinthians 3:11-15)
|
e. |
"In the
Council
of Lyons,
in 1274 A.D., it was stated
that after death the soul goes
promptly either to heaven or
to hell. On the Day of Judgment,
all will stand before the tribunal
of Christ with their bodies
to render account of what they
have done.
|
|
|
There is abundant evidence from
NDEs and the Bible that affirm hell is a temporary
place for purification.
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12.
NDE support for universal salvation |
|
"What all people seek, what sustains them, is
love, the light told me. What distorts people
is a lack of love. The revelations coming from
the light seemed to go on and on, then I asked
the light, "Does this mean that humankind
will be saved?" Then, like a trumpet blast
with a shower of spiraling lights, the Great
Light spoke, saying, "Remember this and
never forget; you save, redeem and heal yourself.
You always have. You always will. You were created
with the power to do so from before the beginning
of the world. In that instant I realized even
more. I realized that WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAVED,
and we saved ourselves because we were designed
to self-correct like the rest of God's universe."
(Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
"Life is a cycle of improvements and humans
are not perfect yet. Most people have this secret
revealed to them when they die." (Dr.
Frank Oski)
"All souls were created in the beginning and
are finding their way back to God." (Edgar
Cayce)
"We are immortal and indestructible. We have
always been alive, we always will be, and there
is no way in this world that we can ever be
lost. It is impossible for anyone to fall into
a crack in the universe somewhere and never
be heard from again. We are utterly safe and
we have always been forever and ever." (Jayne
Smith)
"From the light we have come, and to the light
we all shall return." (Josiane
Antonette)
"It is God's love for us that sends us on
our journey and it is our love for God that
allows us to return to God's loving arms
again." (David
Goines)
"A central aspect of our eternal existence is
continued spiritual growth through love and
service. We can spend what seems like an eternity
before incarnating in the flesh. During that
period in the spirit world, soul growth can
be attained there as well." (Nora
Spurgin)
"It [reincarnation] is a universal process,
and prevails not only in the human kingdom but
also throughout the whole of nature. Whenever
we find a living form, the consciousness of
that form is also evolving, using temporarily
for that purpose the physical form in order
that it may gain physical experience. In each
incarnation we have a different physical body,
a different name, and may have different souls
acting as parents, but these changes do not
in the slightest imperil our individuality ...
Reincarnation is not an endless process, and
when we have learned the lessons taught in the
World-School we return no more to physical incarnation
unless we come back of our own accord to act
as Teachers of humanity or as Helpers in the
glorious plan of evolution." (Amber
Wells)
"Without physical bodies, feelings of hate and
fear are intensified as souls [in hell] vainly
try to hide from their enemies. Their only hope
is to reincarnate. Then unfortunately when they
do, they may forget all about their torment
in hell and again lead lives of greed and tyranny.
This miserable cycle can continue forever unless
they find salvation in one of their lifetimes.
Such people really need a savior, since they
are not able to help themselves. I'm sure
Christ incarnated to help them because he said,
'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance.'" (Arthur
Yensen)
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|
13.
Biblical Support for Universal Salvation |
|
See the Hebrew
scriptures and
New Testament
scriptures above about people not being
punished by God forever in hell.
|
|

SUMMARY: Nobody
can thwart God's will, who wills all men to
be saved, not wanting anyone to perish, to have
mercy on everyone, to save the whole world by
Jesus atoning for the sins of the whole world.
|
SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE:
a. |
"Then Job replied to the Lord:
'I know that you can do anything
and no
plan of yours can be thwarted.'"
(Job
42:1-2) |
b. |
"God
our Savior,
who will
have all men to be saved
and to come to a knowledge of
the truth." (1
Timothy 2:3-4) |
c. |
"[God]
is patient with you,
not wanting
anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance."
(2
Peter 3:9) |
d. |
"For God
has bound
everyone over to disobedience
so that he may
have mercy
on them all." (Romans
11:32) |
e. |
"For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the
world, but
to save
the world through him."
(John
3:17) |
f. |
"And we have seen and testify
that the Father has sent his
Son to be the
Savior
of the world." (1
John 4:14) |
g. |
"[Christ] is the atoning sacrifice
for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the
sins of
the whole world." (1
John 2:2) |
|
|
SUMMARY: All who die will
be made alive in Christ, so that God will be
all in all, because he gave his life as a ransom
for all men, as the Savior of all men, he died
for all, to draw all men to himself, so that
all people will see God's salvation which has
appeared to all men. Just as Adam's sin brought
condemnation to all, so Christ act brought justification
for all, to bring everything under his control
and to bring all things in heaven and earth
together under him.
|
SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE:
a. |
"For as
in Adam all die, so in
Christ
all will be made alive."
(1
Corinthians 15:22) |
b. |
"The Son himself will be made
subject to him who put everything
under him, so that
God may
be all in all." (1
Corinthians 15:28) |
c. |
"For there is one God and one
Mediator between God and man,
which is the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as a
ransom
for all men, to be that
testimony in due time." (1
Timothy 2:5-6) |
d. |
"For to this end we toil and
strive, because we have our
hope set on the living God,
who is
the Savior of all men,
especially of those who believe."
(1
Timothy 4:10-11) |
e. |
"And he
died for all, that those
who live should no longer live
for themselves but for him who
died for them and was raised
again. (2
Corinthians 5:15) |
f. |
"But I, when I am lifted up
from the earth, will
draw all
men to myself." (John
12:32) |
g. |
"Every valley shall be filled
in, every mountain and hill
made low. The crooked roads
shall become straight, the rough
ways smooth. And
all people
will see God’s salvation.’”
(Luke
3:5-6) |
h. |
"For the grace of God that brings
salvation
has appeared to all men."
(Titus
2:11) |
i. |
"Consequently,
just as
one trespass resulted in condemnation
for all people, so also
one righteous act
resulted
in justification and life for
all people." (Romans
5:18) |
j. |
"But our citizenship is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Savior
from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who, by the power that
enables
him to bring everything under
his control, will transform
our lowly bodies so that they
will be like his glorious body."
(Philippians
3:20-21) |
k. |
"And he made known to us the
mystery of his will according
to his good pleasure, which
he purposed in Christ, to be
put into effect when the times
will have reached their fulfillment
-- to
bring all things in heaven and
on earth together under
one head, even Christ." (Ephesians
1:9-10) |
|
|
SUMMARY: God reconciles his enemies
to himself because he loves even his enemies
and reconciles all things to himself. When God
reconciles all his enemies, even death itself,
it will be the "universal restoration" first
prophesized by Elijah, then by his reincarnation
John the Baptist, then by his future reincarnation
as one of the "two witnesses" in the Book of
Revelation. Then the end will come and the Kingdom
of the Lord will be established on earth.
|
SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE:
a. |
"If, while
we were God’s enemies, we were
reconciled to him through
the death of his Son, how much
more, having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through his
life!" (Romans
5:10) |
b. |
"But love
your enemies, do good
to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back.
Then your reward will be great,
and you will be children of
the Most High, because
he is
kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
(Luke
6:35) |
c. |
"For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him
to reconcile
to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things
in heaven, by making peace through
his blood, shed on the cross."
(Colossians
1:19-20) |
d. |
"Then
the end will come, when
he hands over the kingdom to
God the Father after he has
destroyed all dominion, authority
and power. For he must reign
until he has
put all
his enemies under his feet.
The last
enemy to be destroyed is death..
For he “has
put everything under his feet.”
Now when it says that “everything”
has been put under him, it is
clear that this does not include
God himself, who put everything
under Christ. When he has done
this, then the Son himself will
be made subject to him who put
everything under him, so that
God may
be all in all." (1
Corinthians 15:24-28) |
e. |
[Peter addressed the Israelites;]
"But
God had foretold through all
his prophets that his Christ
must suffer and this was how
his words came true. Now you
must repent and turn to God
so that your sins may be wiped
out, that time after time your
souls may know the refreshment
that comes from the presence
of God.
Then he
will send you Jesus,
your long-heralded Christ,
although
for the time he must remain
in Heaven until that
universal restoration
of which God spoke in ancient
times through all his holy prophets."
(Acts
3:18-23) |
f. |
 |
SUMMARY:
The "time of universal
restoration" is the
time heralded by Elijah
when the promised Jewish
Messiah comes to rule
the Kingdom of God on
earth to restore all
things and creatures
to God. But because
John the Baptist (as
the reincarnation of
Elijah) and Jesus were
killed, the time of
universal restoration
was postponed. After
Jesus was killed, the
Church age began when
Gentiles were being
brought to God. According
to the Book of Revelation,
another time will come
when both Elijah and
Moses will reincarnate
again heralding the
return of Jesus. Afterward,
the universal restoration
will occur and the Kingdom
of God will be established
on earth. |
|
-- |
"Jesus chose
Peter, James
and his brother
John, to accompany
him high up
on the hillside
where [Jesus
transformed
into a being
of light]...
Then
Moses
and
Elijah
were seen
talking to Jesus...
On their way
down the hillside
Jesus warned
them not to
tell anyone
about what they
had seen until
after the Son
of Man had risen
from the dead.
Then the disciples
demanded, 'Why
is it,
then, that the
scribes always
say
Elijah must
come first?'
'Yes,
Elijah does
come first,'
replied Jesus,
'and
begins the
world’s
reformation.
But I tell you
that
Elijah has come
already
and men did
not recognize
him. They did
what they liked
with him, and
they will do
the same to
the Son of Man.
Then they realized
that he had
been referring
to John
the Baptist."
(Matthew
17:1-13) |
-- |
Read about all
the scriptural
evidence proving
John the Baptist
was the reincarnation
of Elijah
the prophet.
Here more some
examples: |
|
(1) |
"Behold
I will
send
you
Elijah
the
prophet,
before
the
coming
of the
great
and
dreadful
day
of the
Lord."
(Malachi
4:5) |
(2) |
"For
all
the
Prophets
and
the
Law
have
prophesied
until
John.
And
if you
are
willing
to receive
it,
he
(John
the
Baptist)
is the
Elijah
who
was
to come."
(Matthew
11:13-14) |
|
|
 |
SUMMARY:
In the Book of Revelation,
the prophets Elijah
and Moses appear again
before Jesus appears.
This time the result
is the establishment
of the Kingdom of God
on earth. |
|
-- |
"'And I will
appoint my
two witnesses,
and they will
prophesy for
1,260 days,
clothed in sackcloth.'
They are 'the
two olive trees'
and the
two lampstands,
and 'they stand
before the Lord
of the earth.'
If anyone tries
to harm them,
fire comes from
their mouths
and devours
their enemies.
This is how
anyone who wants
to harm them
must die.
They have power
[of
Elijah]
to shut up the
heavens so that
it will not
rain
during the time
they are prophesying;
and
they have power
[of
Moses]
to turn the
waters into
blood and to
strike the earth
with every kind
of plague
as often as
they want ...
The inhabitants
of the earth
will gloat over
them and will
celebrate by
sending each
other gifts,
because
these two prophets
had tormented
those who live
on the earth
... Then they
heard a loud
voice from heaven
saying to them,
'Come up here.'
And they went
up to heaven
in a cloud ...
The seventh
angel sounded
his trumpet,
and there were
loud voices
in heaven, which
said: 'The
kingdom of the
world has become
the Kingdom
of our Lord
and of his Messiah,
and he will
reign for ever
and ever.'"
(Revelation
11:3-15) |
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