What is hell really like?
Virgil guides Dante through the nine circles of Hell. Each deeper level holds greater sinners and greater punishments. The deepest circle of Hell is at the center of the Earth and it is here that the chief sinner, Satan, is held bound in a lake of ice for all eternity. Is this what hell really looks like? “Although there are quite extensive descriptions of heaven in the Bible, there are no really detailed descriptions of hell,” writes author Richard Deems. “Most of the descriptions of hell merely describe the fate of its inhabitants.” Among the Bible’s few descriptions are fire and brimstone, a burning wind, a fiery oven and unquenchable fire. “Since there could possibly be a lot of party people in hell,” says Deems, “one might think that it will be one big party. However, the problem is that the likes of Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and other unsavory characters will be there also. In order to keep those people from tormenting their neighbors excessively, all the inhabitants will be restrained.”