An old friend of mine recently sent a link to a video on You Tube entitled 'A Letter From Hell'.http://tinyurl.com/33h9sz9 This letter is supposedly written by a young man, who having died in a car crash finds himself experiencing the flames and terrors of Hell.Personally I find this depiction of our loving saviour offensive, and as usual with so many of this type of material unscriptural.
I have therefore written a response to my friend and I thought I would take this opportunity to share it here.
Hi *******
I’ve manged to get a transcript of that video you posted entitled ‘Letter from Hell’,and I thought I would add a few comments of my own in order to explain why I believe it to be both blasphemous, and a gross mis-representation of the Gospel.As you are probably aware there are many such videos on the Internet, and like this one, they are produced to supposedly motivate Christians (by producing guilt) to be more active in sharing their faith.However, I would like both of us take a closer look at some of the content of this video, as I believe it to be riddled with contradictions and false doctrine.Let's begin with.
SLIDE 14 Josh states
'Dear Zack,
‘I died today
It’s a lot different than I expected.
You see,
I always thought that dying would bring
Me to a world that is foggy and hazy.
But this place is crystal clear…
It’s even more real than my life on’
Earth.'
SLIDE 15 Josh also states
‘I felt my spirit leave my body’
The above statements would seem to indicate that the producers of this video, have their views based on the Christian belief in the ‘immortality of the soul’ i.e suggesting consciousness after death.However this doctrine although believed by most of the church is a clear contradiction to the scriptures.Firstly let it be absolutely made clear that there is no such doctrine of the immortality of the soul stated in the scriptures God alone possesses immortality (1 Tim 6:16) As you are aware many pagan religions also subscribe to that very view also . However, here is what the scriptures actually state concerning what happens when we die.
Psalm 6:5
For in death [there is] no REMEMBRANCE of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Psalm 146:4
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his THOUGHTS PERISH.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do NOT KNOW ANYTHING, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; nor do they any longer have a part forever in all that is done under the Sun.
These scriptures state quite clearly, that Josh, rather than seeing things ’crystal clear ‘ as he puts it ,would have no MEMORIES, no THOUGHTS or KNOWLEDGE of his dead state In fact, he wouldn’t even know he was dead until his resurrection took place
1 Cointhians 15:22
For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified."
This belief in ‘the immortality of the soul is a lie based upon an old lie 'you shall surely not die’ Now where have we heard that before?
If Josh has an immortal soul ie ‘he is still alive after his body has died’ then what is the need for a bodily resurrection (1 Cor 15) the resurrection of the dead is of little consequence.
SLIDE 36 Josh again states
‘they are holding me over the flames’ Now! here are some very interesting scriptures from Jeremiah
Jeremiah 7:31-32
For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to BURN their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded [them] not, NEITHER IT CAME INTO MY HEART.
Jeremiah 19:4-5
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; 5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to BURN their sons with fire [for] burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake [it], neither came [it] into MY MIND:
Jeremiah 32:35
And they built the high places of Baal, which [are] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this ABOMINATION, to cause Judah to sin. (King James)
Notice here! We have God stating that he considers Israel’s pagan practices of putting their children through FIRE an ABOMINATION. Yet the church teaches that this same God is also going to subject billions of his own creations to torture by fire. Does God himself do abominable things? Isn't that somewhat hypocritical?
How about Christ’s command for us to forgive our enemies? Do we have a God with double-standards here? Telling us to do one thing, whilst he does the opposite.
'Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? Job 4:17
SLIDE 38-40
Depicts the young man being thrown into the fires of Hell.Yet there is no evidence of any judgment taking place. According to the scripture Judgment takes place at the Great white throne judgment (Rev 20:12) which occurs following Christ’s return to rule with his elect.
And I perceived the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And the scrolls were opened. And another scroll was opened which is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged by that which is written in the scrolls in accord with their acts."Revelation "20:12
The resurrection of the dead must precede the final judgment.
and, many (that's all) of the sleepers in the dusty ground, shall awake,—these, shall be to age-abiding life, but, those, to reproach, and age-abiding abhorrence; Daniel 12:2
What do the makers of this video think will happen to Josh when Christ returns to rule in his kingdom? Will he be brought out of Hell to be judged and then thrown back in again? Can we see contradictions here? Is this yet another fabrication?
Finally the video also seems to suggest that had his Zack told his friend of the Gospel, he would have repented and not be enduring such a hideous fate. I know that we have been led to believe for many years that ‘God needs our permission’ to save us,but that simply isn’t true.There are no scriptures that state that God has given man the ability to chose by his own free will to be saved ,rather the contrary.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that areaccustomed to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father John 6:65
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that thegoodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:4
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure Phil 2:13
I found it both interesting and sad that I found the transcript of 'A Letter From Hell' on an atheist’s site. As you can imagine they are not too impressed by the Christian teaching that a so-called ‘God of love’ who is worshiped by millions of adherents to the 'Christian faith' should also be the same God who will torture billions of people who don’t believe in him. No wonder so many people hate Christianity they know it doesn’t add up, and as the scriptures so clearly state.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be BLASPHEMED.2 Peter 2:1-2
Unfortunatately so true
I think I will end it there.As you can see that I have changed a lot of my thinking and beliefs over these past few years. I now no longer believe that God is going to torture the majority of mankind in a place called Hell (although I did so for many years) I now believe that he is indeed the ‘Saviour of the world’ not just a small proportion but the 'whole world' and by that I believe it to be everyone and I believe the scriptures back this up also
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 1John 4:14
If he doesn't save the world then he hasn't accomplished the job he was sent to do
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,:4 who desires ALL people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3- 4
Does God always gets what he desires? Well !apparently not when it comes to the salvation of mankind according to the teaching of the church.
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe 1 Timothy 4:10
Finally I hope you didn't mind me writing but I felt I needed to explain more adequately my initial response to that video.
All the best Dave
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