"Satan & A History of Hell", containing excerpts from Who's ? Right: Mankind, Religions & The End Times by Kelly Warman-Stallings, will conclude this week with a brief description of the place mankind refers to as Hell.
Satan & A History of Hell
(Part 2 - A History of Hell)
A History of Hell
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| Depiction of Hell |
The majority of theologians and scholars of biblical studies will attest that the Creator did not cause evil to fall upon the world and mankind. Rather, it was Satan, who through his wicked rebellion, provoked it. And, henceforth, the Kingdom of Hell came into being.
During the first thousand years, Christianity did not mention Hell and it was rarely preached from ancient pulpits; with the exception of Augustine of Hippo, a 4th century A. D. philosopher. During an oppressive time of war, famine and plague, Augustine warned of the terrors of Hell. He was instrumental in helping pagan masses convert to Christianity.
By the early 1300's, Dante Alighieri transformed Hell into an ongoing story in his literary work, Dante's Inferno. The story, in which mankind struggles to understand the world, helped to shape our modern sense of Hell. Dante's lyrical literature had a profound effect upon the Renaissance era which changed the idealistic thoughts of Satan."Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself in a dark wilderness for I had wandered from the straight and true." - Dante's Inferno - Canto 1
Dante's description of Hell is very detailed and contains nine levels, known as "realms". Each level was designed for specific sins. The most vile of sinners found themselves in the pit of Hell (9th realm) with Satan.
As Dante forever expanded the notion of Hell, English poet, John Milton, revolutionized the character of Satan in the 1600's. Milton's vision introduced Satan as a champion of the "dark side" and a powerful deity in an adversarial role. The English poet produced his masterpiece, Paradise Lost, in 1667, which retells Lucifer's fall from Heaven. According to Milton, a third of the angels in Heaven joined Satan in his fall from grace. Satan rouses the demoralized angels and soon they became faithful and obedient servants to their evil master. John Milton also proclaimed that Satan cannot atone to God for such an insurrection, and therefore continually wages war against the Creator and mankind. |
| Depiction of Jesus in Hell |
Many modern Christians of the 21st century believe Jesus descended into Hell after he died; not to save the damned or battle Satan, rather Christ went there to free the ancient souls from Sheol (the abode of the dead or of departed spirits) that were worthy of Heaven.
The Islamic view of Hell is not as detailed as the Christian's version. The Qur'an states Hell is a literal and physical place. The Muslims believe Hell was created by Allah to instill discipline and follow the truth. Those condemned to the Hell of Islam are greeted in a horrifying manner.
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| Depiction of an Islamic Hell |
The pain experience in Hell is intense, merciless and continual. While the majority of Islamic souls will miss Hell entirely, the minority of Muslims will descend into the underworld. However, Islam's Hell is not a permanent place.
"And when it is said unto him, be careful of thy duty to Allah. Pride taketh him to sin; Hell will settle his account, an evil resting place." - Qur'an 2.206
According to Islamic theologians and scholars, Allah's mercy overcomes His wrath and eventually removes the tortured soul from the abyss of Hell. Those souls, whose sins are brutal and horrific, will remain in what Islam refers to as Jahannam (Hell) until Judgment Day. Abiding in Hell could take a few days or many years, but in the end those Muslims worthy of Jannah (Paradise) will eventually find their way to Paradise (Heaven).
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| Depiction of Jews appealing to God |
Judaism, on the other hand, has a different definition in accordance with the Christians and Muslims. As their Holy Book does not emphasize an afterlife, the Conservative and Reformed Jews don't believe in a literal "afterlife" or Hell. There are some Orthodox Jews that believe in an afterlife and embrace the idea of appealing to God for a better station in the next life.
During the 12th century A.D., a few Jewish congregations come to accept the existence of Hell when Rabbi Moses ben-Maimon (also called Maimonides) penned a code of ethics that contained 13 principles of faith. Maimonides was considered a great philosopher, scholar, and physician of the Middle Ages. The code of ethics, that are still practiced in our modern world, taught that reward and punishment still exist in an afterlife and the 13 principles entailed:
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| Mishneh Torah Systematic Code of Jewish Law Written by Maimonides |
1. The existence of God
2. God's unity
3. God's spirituality
4. God's eternity
5. God alone should be the object of worship
6. Revelation through God's prophets
7. The preeminence of Moses among the prophets
8. God's law given on Mount Sinai
9. The immutability of the Torah as God's law
10. God's foreknowledge of human actions
11. Reward of good and retribution of evil
12. The coming of the Jewish Messiah
13. The resurrection of the dead
The concept of a Buddhist Hell, in comparison, is decidedly different than other creator-based religions. This religious faction believes that an "afterlife" is not a place, but rather, a state of existence. Hell is a realm where the dead are reborn into anxiety and despair.
The Buddhist has many realms or state of being associated with Hell, but does not believe in a divine judge who condemns man to Hell. According to scholars of Buddhism, it is one's own evil karma that gives rise to rebirth in this realm.
"He sees living beings seared and consumed by birth, old age, sickness and death; care and suffering cease them to undergo many, kinds of pain, because of their greed, attachment and striving they undergo numerous pains in their present existence and later they undergo the pain of being reborn in Hell as beasts or hungry spirits." ~ Lotus Sutra - 3:37
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| Buddhist concept of Hell |
The theologians also believe those who follow the light will have positive rebirths; those that follow the darkness will have a negative rebirth. As in Islamic beliefs, the Buddhist's suffering in Hell is not eternal. Living beings suffer the pains of Hell until the unwholesome karma they had generated in life is well exhausted and soon after one is reborn into a new life.
While the Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists have a different perspective of Hell and an afterlife, all the religions have grappled with the concept of a place called Hell. Regardless of the dominant religions' differences, they all generally agree on a code of human conduct. However, the scholars, theologians and researchers of religion would agree that Hell of the imagination has many authors.