Paradise Lost

I've started reading this epic poem by John Milton, and within the first few pages something occurred to me.

Hell isn't fire an brimstone. Well, yes, it is that - but not just that. Hell is the complete absence of God. No hope, no love, no joy, no peace. That's Hell. No light, no glory, no safety, no arms to catch you. That's Hell. The Lake of Fire? That's not the worst of the torment - it's just what you see. What you feel is lost.

In contrast, Heaven is God's presence.

Now the phrases "Heaven on Earth" and "Hell on Earth" make so much more sense - but we've distorted the meanings so we can use them with our own feeble versions of each extreme. Each person, living or dead, has experienced Hell on Earth - the lack of God's presence in his life. Each person, because of God's grace and mercy, has the opportunity to experience Heaven on Earth - His everlasting closeness through and by His Spirit till we actually see Him face-to-face.

What is Hell on Earth but a lesser Hell? And what is Heaven on Earth but a half-fulfilled promise of home?