You will find this a very unusual vision of life after death - not in heaven, but in hell. It is a picture of hell - a picture of Hades. It's not like the Dante Hell - and the pictures of hell that he depicts. Where is hell? It doesn't answer this question - but then, in my mind, that's a moot point.

This vision is in contrast to heaven, and to pictures of heaven. We know that it is heaven with God vs. hell with Satan, or hell with the devil. But I'm not sure the latter is accurate, because Revelation says Satan has been thrown into the Lake of Fire, which I see as different.

I get very few visions. But I had this vision a few years ago when I was questioning God about hell, and about the fact that I didn't see him as a God who punished people forever. I said that although I believe in hell as a literal place, I didn't see it as a place of fire and brimstone, as many preachers say.

I was given a vision of hell, but I doubt it's like anything you've ever imagined. Is it a literal, factual vision? I don't know! But I will say it better fits my concept of a God of grace and love better than a place of fire, continuing anguish, pain, Satan and his pitchfork, and all that stuff.

HERE IS THE VISION I HAD

I was in a great worship service one day in church.

We were pouring our hearts out to God. There was such a gentle spirit flowing, and God's presence was very real. The leaders and musicians on the platform were calling NO attention to themselves, and were blending with the experience, letting God be the only focus.

It was a time when you just know it's God ministering to you, and filling your spirit. You never want it to end. Suddenly, I was transported to another worship service.

This worship service was more intense, dramatic and dynamic than the one I was actually in. Because I'm not prone to get visions, I was not sure what I was seeing. But I began realizing I was having a vision, and I was part of it.

There was no worship leader, and no music.

Everyone was just totally absorbed in their own personal expression of praise and worship to God. The intensity of each person in the service was amazing. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Each person there was TOTALLY tuned into God. There was no talking - no looking around at anyone else. No one even got up and went to the bathroom.

It was like each person was all alone, and ALL mattered to them was GOD!

They were screaming out their praises. The cries of devotion, longing and pleading to God were sensational, and even aggressive.

I was able to walk around unnoticed, and watch the people. They were so involved in their worship, no one saw me. Many had tears streaming down their faces. Two men on one side were prostrate on the floor moaning. One was pounding his fists on the floor. Many had pained expressions on their faces. Many were kneeling.

Most faces were wet from sweat. Some people tore their shirts open they were so hot. Others were pulling at their hair. Many had hands reaching high, as if trying to grab hold of God. Some embraced each other, hugging hard, trying to console each other. Many sobbed bitterly.

I spoke to one person.

I was able to briefly get the attention of one woman. Our eyes met, and in that we were close, I asked her how often this type of service occurred. She said, "Oh, every day! All day long! We have this type of service in all of our churches."

Then she was lost again in a type of religious agony, - desperate in her worship of God. I was troubled. God was nowhere in this place. The service was so exciting it was mesmerizing and even intoxicating. Yet it was all human effort. It was like God didn't even exist.

I cried out: "God, where are you? Holy Spirit, I don't sense your presence. Jesus, it is as though you never even lived. It is so spiritually cold and clammy in this place - while at the same time I'm so hot I feel as if I'm going to pass out."

It was then I realized I was having a vision - a picture of hell - a picture of Hades. Was it hell with Satan - hell with the devil? I didn't see him in my vision.

Think about this. Can you imagine having to worship and praise God all day long every day, for ALL eternity? Can you imagine that, even with all of your desperate longing, mental conniving, and emotional need, and spiritual desperation, you would NEVER be able to make contact with Him?

I don't know about you, but I cannot possibly begin to imagine a more terrible hell!

Yet it is not the fire and brimstone,' pain, punishment and suffering we're told it is. Again, I'm NOT claiming this was a literal vision from God of the way hell actually is. But it is interesting, and it fits the nature of a God of grace and love, not a God of vengeance and punishment.

It is simply a vision that shows that God leaves us to our own consequences and choices. If we choose NOT to choose him during life, then he chooses NOT to have anything to do with us after our lives are over.

Can people in hell see into heaven?

In Luke 16, there is an episode where a man who is in hell sees into heaven, and sees Abraham and Lazarus. This would indicate that he could SEE what he was missing by being in Hades. This would tend to add more anquish, wouldn't it?

God made a unilateral offer to everyone of us. The Old Testament predicts a coming King, who is Jesus, and a coming Kingdom of God. At his baptism, John the Baptist said, "Behold... (Jesus) comes to take away the sins of the world."

The New Testament is about us accepting what we lawyers call 'the unilateral offer' of salvation from God.

The Bible is clear we ALL live forever. It says a whole lot about both heaven and hell than I've mentioned here - the two places we can choose to live in forever.

(1) To accept God's offer in Jesus means a life in what is called heaven, or paradise.

(2) To not accept it means a life in hell.

Hopefully this GOSPEL TIP will cause you to think a little deeper about hell, and even hell with Satan, and hell with the devil. Don't just pass it over as a type of fairy tale, even if Satan is somewhere else (the Lake of Fire).

The Bible says hell is very real, as is heaven. As I just wrote about in Casey Anthony and O. J. Simpson, we all have the choice of choosing heaven over hell by accepting Christ - as long as our hearts are pumping blood and our lungs are sucking air.

Worshipping God here and now is much better than worshipping him forever in this picture of hell. Rather, put yourself in the picture of heaven, if you have not accepted God' unilateral offer -- and while your lungs are still sucking air.