by Steven Anderson

Created on: October 28, 2008   Last Updated: November 01, 2008

Hell is not "Separation from God"

1. Are those in Hell separated from God? 2. Who is teaching that Hell is "separation from God"?
3. What is Hell really?

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." Revelation 14:10

"If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." Psalm 139:8
"For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." Isaiah 30:33

1. Are those in Hell separated from God?
The doctrine of a literal Hell has always been under attack by liberal scholars and theologians. Many false teachers have attempted to replace the idea of a literal Hell with the concept that Hell is actually "separation from God." This doctrine of "separation from God" has completely infiltrated Baptist churches everywhere. In our day, churches that believe in a literal Hell still use this idea that Hell is "separation from God" in order to tone down the reality of how horrible Hell really is.

The Bible teaches quite the opposite of "separation from God." Revelation 14:10b reads, "and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." The Bible is very clear in this verse that those in Hell are being tormented in the presence of Jesus Christ. How else could this verse be true? Not only this, but the Bible also teaches that God is omnipresent. John 3:13 reads, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." Here Jesus is claiming to be on earth talking to Nicodemus and in Heaven at the same time. Every Bible version aside from the King James Bible removes the phrase, "which is in heaven," from this verse.
In Psalm 139:8, David says to God, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." Clearly God is everywhere, including Hell. In fact, the Bible states that God is the source of the torment. II Thessalonians 1:8, 9 reads, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and

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