Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Just as the eternal life that will be enjoyed by the elect will be spent on earth, the punishment of the wicked will be on earth also ( L 38.6). This place may be called hell, but hell should not be defined as a geographical location. Certain biblical texts suggest that hell is underground, others that it is under water, others that it is fire, and others that it is darkness ( L 38.6–9). Not all of these can be true. So some other interpretation must be given to the texts that talk about the fate of the wicked. Usually, these ideas of hell come from some specific incident which talks about punishment in a metaphorical manner, which many people have mistakenly taken literally. This is especially true of the cases in which hell is described as fire ( L 38.11). But since metaphors usually are based upon some factual ground, they can be used to work out what the literal truth about hell is. From all the descriptions of hell in the Bible, it seems clear that it is a place of torment. So it is better defined as the place where the damned are ( L 38.6). St Paul says that the wicked will die a “second death.” So the wicked must be resurrected at the end of the world and then destroyed. They do not suffer eternally ( L 38.14, 44.26, 44.29; OL 3:329–30, 466–7, 566). Without further argument, Hobbes simply asserts that the method of destruction will be fire ( L 38.14). Thus, the descriptions ... log in or subscribe to read full text