Biblical Answer

Hell is the common grave of mankind, literally sheol. This is a doctrine of Organized Religion, not the Bible. The Bible teaches that death seals the trajectory of the road, or way, we chose in life. Immediately upon death, a person is either in heaven or hades (Luke 16:23; 23:43). If a person rejects Jesus Christ, they go instantaneously to hades, a place of conscious separation from God and spiritual torment of a terrible nature (Luke 16:19-31). The Bible warns that those who reject Jesus will suffer the consequences of their sins (3:36). The only escape is to believe in Jesus, and even at this stage, he held out this opportunity.

The Bible teaches that sin is saying to God, "Go away and leave me alone." God's finally replying, "You may have your wish. It is God's leaving the person to himself or herself, as that individual has chosen." This is not a place of torment, but rather a place of separation from God. The Bible says that God is present everywhere, even in hell (Psalm 139:7-8). Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43), implying that after Jesus died, his soul (or spirit) went immediately to the presence of God.

The question of whether we can escape hell is a complex one. However, the Bible teaches that the only way to avoid hell is to believe in Jesus Christ. If we reject Jesus, we will suffer the consequences of our sins. The Bible says that God's hand is present everywhere, even in hell, and that we cannot escape God's presence. The Bible teaches that sin is saying to God, "Go away and leave me alone," and God's finally replying, "You may have your wish." This is not a place of torment, but rather a place of separation from God. The only escape is to believe in Jesus.