Re: “‘Hell’ revisited” (Q & A Jan/Feb p. 15). I agree with everything except the conclusion that heaven and hell are merely “biblical figures of speech.” All poetic images in scripture point to an underlying reality. I believe that the words heaven and hell refer to real dimensions (timeless or otherwise) that we will enter after we die.
Judgment and separation are implied in a number of Jesus’ parables. It seems to me that the Scriptures say that heaven will be total separation from God. Of course, what form that will take is beyond our imagination but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. The existence of a heaven and a hell (both of which we already have on earth to some degree) makes sense.
“‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” How will that happen for people like Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot, who consciously and unflinchingly brought about the horrific suffering and death of millions? For me, that hell will be eternal doesn’t jibe with God’s amazing grace.
I believe in the judgment of God, but I believe much more in the grace of God, as revealed in the words of God’s Son to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
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