There is NO HELL

Glad 2 know

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Many of you believe there exists a place of fiery torment based on what the Bible "says" regarding that. Many of you have grown up with this concept and I don't expect you to agree with me right away and wholeheartedly but just be humble enough to consider this. John 8:32
The concept of hell doesn't make sense. I mean why would a person live a 100 years or less, commit sins and yet be condemned to an eternity of torment? That doesn't seem just or fair at all. So you lived so little, and yet you have to pay for eternity, it really doesn't make sense. God is Just, so even in your imperfect human being eyes this seems so imbalanced, imagine how God must think.
The concept of hell makes Yahweh seem like he is void of feelings, like he actually likes the idea of tormenting billions of people, all at once, when we know he is a loving God and detested when people would pass their children through the fire. HE NEVER approved of it. Deuteronomy 12:31 Psalms 106:37,38 2 Kings 16:3 2 Kings 21:6 Jeremiah 7:31 Jeremiah 19:4,5 32:35 Ezekiel 16:20,21 It was wicked people most likely enticed by the demons to do every sort of detestable thing to defile true worship.
Think that in order for someone to be burned in hell the person would have to be somehow modified by God to be able to "burn". If God was to resurrect people to put them in hell He would probably have to give them special bodies to be able to not completely burn or else how would they last for eternity? Spirit cannot burn or unless God would go through the task of somehow making special fire that burns spirits? Or you think about it and explain. It would still mean that God is heartless and would actually go through the trouble of converting all the sinful peoples' bodies into special matter that won't totally burn?
Job knew where he was going when he died, he said so in Job 17;16, he said he would go down to the grave, when everyone descends together in the dust. He said EVERYONE, everyone gets interred. He never mentioned some will go to the grave and some to burn in hell. Job 21:25,26 is more detailed as to where all men go. In Job 26:6 he also says the grave, you know, 6ft under. The place of destruction is the grave, I mean the body does get destroyed because of the natural process of decay, right? Job 33:24 mentions that God spared Job from going into the pit, grave, there is never the mention of hell. It's VERY clear that a faithful servant of God had knowledge of where ALL of humankind goes no matter if rich or poor, wise or stupid.
Solomon pointed out the same thing as Job in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 We are all going to the SAME PLACE. We all come from the dust and we all return to the dust Genesis 2:7 That makes sense to return to the ground from where we were taken.
David also pointed out in Psalm 30:9 if there would be profit in him going down into the pit. Even though he was sinful, he NEVER said he would go to a place to be tormented after death. He only mentioned the common grave of humankind. Psalm 49:15 he told of how God would redeem him from the grave, meaning God obviously has the power to resurrect. He didn't say he would be tormented afterwards.

Matthew 25:46 talks about everlasting cutting off. What does that mean? When you cut something off that doesn't do any good you throw it away, you don't mind it anymore. Same thing with human beings. It makes more sense that God would just cut off people and get it over with, rather than dealing with "eternal torment". Now to the concept of everlasting life which brings us to 2 Peter 3:9 where it says that Yahweh does not desire anyone to be Destroyed. What is destruction? You know what it is. That is the key right there. It doesn't say God does not desire anyone to be tormented forever it says DESTROYED.
Even though the Bible doesn't directly say there is no hell, these scriptures and more and you coming to know how God thinks and feel, will show you that there is NO HELL. The origins from this concept come from where else? The ancient pagan cities of Babylon and Assyria.
 

Lisa

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Idk what version you use...but my Bible says
Matthew‬ ‭25:46‬ ‭
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Revelation‬ ‭20:11-15‬ ‭​
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
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Matthew‬ ‭13:41-42‬ ‭
The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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Matthew‬ ‭13:49-50‬ ‭
So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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If sin wasn’t so bad then do you really think that Jesus would go through all that to save us from nothing? And if that was what Jesus went through to save us...how wouldn’t there be a place of torment for those who reject Him?
Isaiah‬ ‭53:3-12‬ ‭​
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
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‭‭​
 

Lisa

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Messages
20,288
I think there are a few misconceptions as to what and where hell is. For one, most confuse “The Day of The Lord” with judgement day. Most are under the false impression that God and the angels on high will be sitting around with black robes on, while everyone stand in a single file line being judge when that is not the case. The day of The Most High God will be your judgement. You don’t go to hell. Hell will come to you. Hell will be on this earth as fire rain from the sky.
The problem you have Yahda is that you only know half of the story and without the other half you are ill informed. I don’t see where they are wearing black robes either...
Revelation‬ ‭20:11-15‬ ‭
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.​
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Hell or Hades is temporary.

The lake of fire is eternal.
Don't you find it strange though that this concept (lake of fire) is only mentioned in one book (St John's Apocalypse) in the entire Bible?


Sure there is Shehol in the Tanakh but that doesn't have connotations anything like that.
Hades is a weird one because the term itself is taken from a Greek deity (kinda like the word "Sin" itself).

Both words are used so incredibly loosely that no particular verse mentioning them seem to imply doctrines of any kind.

edit:
For those interested:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_(mythology)
 
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phipps

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Dec 27, 2017
Messages
4,193
Many of you believe there exists a place of fiery torment based on what the Bible "says" regarding that. Many of you have grown up with this concept and I don't expect you to agree with me right away and wholeheartedly but just be humble enough to consider this. John 8:32
The concept of hell doesn't make sense. I mean why would a person live a 100 years or less, commit sins and yet be condemned to an eternity of torment? That doesn't seem just or fair at all. So you lived so little, and yet you have to pay for eternity, it really doesn't make sense. God is Just, so even in your imperfect human being eyes this seems so imbalanced, imagine how God must think.
The concept of hell makes Yahweh seem like he is void of feelings, like he actually likes the idea of tormenting billions of people, all at once, when we know he is a loving God and detested when people would pass their children through the fire. HE NEVER approved of it. Deuteronomy 12:31 Psalms 106:37,38 2 Kings 16:3 2 Kings 21:6 Jeremiah 7:31 Jeremiah 19:4,5 32:35 Ezekiel 16:20,21 It was wicked people most likely enticed by the demons to do every sort of detestable thing to defile true worship.
Think that in order for someone to be burned in hell the person would have to be somehow modified by God to be able to "burn". If God was to resurrect people to put them in hell He would probably have to give them special bodies to be able to not completely burn or else how would they last for eternity? Spirit cannot burn or unless God would go through the task of somehow making special fire that burns spirits? Or you think about it and explain. It would still mean that God is heartless and would actually go through the trouble of converting all the sinful peoples' bodies into special matter that won't totally burn?
Job knew where he was going when he died, he said so in Job 17;16, he said he would go down to the grave, when everyone descends together in the dust. He said EVERYONE, everyone gets interred. He never mentioned some will go to the grave and some to burn in hell. Job 21:25,26 is more detailed as to where all men go. In Job 26:6 he also says the grave, you know, 6ft under. The place of destruction is the grave, I mean the body does get destroyed because of the natural process of decay, right? Job 33:24 mentions that God spared Job from going into the pit, grave, there is never the mention of hell. It's VERY clear that a faithful servant of God had knowledge of where ALL of humankind goes no matter if rich or poor, wise or stupid.
Solomon pointed out the same thing as Job in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 We are all going to the SAME PLACE. We all come from the dust and we all return to the dust Genesis 2:7 That makes sense to return to the ground from where we were taken.
David also pointed out in Psalm 30:9 if there would be profit in him going down into the pit. Even though he was sinful, he NEVER said he would go to a place to be tormented after death. He only mentioned the common grave of humankind. Psalm 49:15 he told of how God would redeem him from the grave, meaning God obviously has the power to resurrect. He didn't say he would be tormented afterwards.

Matthew 25:46 talks about everlasting cutting off. What does that mean? When you cut something off that doesn't do any good you throw it away, you don't mind it anymore. Same thing with human beings. It makes more sense that God would just cut off people and get it over with, rather than dealing with "eternal torment". Now to the concept of everlasting life which brings us to 2 Peter 3:9 where it says that Yahweh does not desire anyone to be Destroyed. What is destruction? You know what it is. That is the key right there. It doesn't say God does not desire anyone to be tormented forever it says DESTROYED.
Even though the Bible doesn't directly say there is no hell, these scriptures and more and you coming to know how God thinks and feel, will show you that there is NO HELL. The origins from this concept come from where else? The ancient pagan cities of Babylon and Assyria.

The concept of hell doesn't make sense.
There is hell in the Bible and it will be a place of punishment there is no doubt about that. Its so clear and makes sense. It is not a concept either, it is the truth of the Word of God.

Psalm 11:6, "Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup."

Isaiah 47:14, "Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before it."

Matthew 13:42, "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 24:51, "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Hebrews 10:29, "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?"

Revelation 20:10, "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." There is more scripture that talks about the punishment of the wicked with fire.

I mean why would a person live a 100 years or less, commit sins and yet be condemned to an eternity of torment? That doesn't seem just or fair at all. So you lived so little, and yet you have to pay for eternity, it really doesn't make sense. God is Just, so even in your imperfect human being eyes this seems so imbalanced, imagine how God must think.
There is a misconception in most Christian religions that hell will be eternal or forever. I'm going to repost something I posted in my forum location of hell.

But the Bible speaks of the wicked being tormented "forever," doesn't it?

The term forever is used 56 times in the King James Bible in connection with things that have already ended.* It is like the word “tall,” which means something different in describing men, trees, or mountains. In Jonah 2:6, “forever” means “three days and nights.” In Deuteronomy 23:3, it means 10 generations. In the case of mankind, it means “as long as he lives” or “until death.” (See 1 Samuel 1:22, 28; Exodus 21:6; Psalm 48:14.) So the wicked will burn in the fire as long as they live, or until death. This fiery punishment for sin will vary according to the degree of sins for each individual, but after the punishment, the fire will go out. The unbiblical teaching of eternal torment has done more to drive people to atheism than any other invention of the devil. It is slander upon the loving character of a gracious heavenly Father and has done untold harm to the Christian cause.

The concept of hell makes Yahweh seem like he is void of feelings, like he actually likes the idea of tormenting billions of people, all at once, when we know he is a loving God and detested when people would pass their children through the fire. HE NEVER approved of it. Deuteronomy 12:31 Psalms 106:37,38 2 Kings 16:3 2 Kings 21:6 Jeremiah 7:31 Jeremiah 19:4,5 32:35 Ezekiel 16:20,21 It was wicked people most likely enticed by the demons to do every sort of detestable thing to defile true worship.
God is not void of any feelings. All throughout the Bible God punished people. We read about the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, ten plagues in Egypt etc. There were always very good reasons for those punishments. God can't stand the thought of destroying those He loves. The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God leaves nothing out in His desire to save people.

Ezekiel 33:11, "Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ "

Isaiah 28:21, "For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act."

Destroying people is so foreign to God's ways that hellfire is called His "strange act." However this world will not continue to be sinful eternally. Sin will end along with all the wicked who God gave chance after chance to repent but they chose not to. Before they are destroyed, every wicked person will admit that God has been fair (Romans 14:11).

Btw God not wanting people to pass through the fire was about pagan rituals and worship of other gods that were an abomination to God.

Deuteronomy 12:31, "You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods."

Deuteronomy 18:10-12, "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."

These verses and the ones you posted are not about hell. Here is what Jesus said.

Matthew 13:40-42, "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 24:51, "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." This is clear is it not?

Think that in order for someone to be burned in hell the person would have to be somehow modified by God to be able to "burn". If God was to resurrect people to put them in hell He would probably have to give them special bodies to be able to not completely burn or else how would they last for eternity? Spirit cannot burn or unless God would go through the task of somehow making special fire that burns spirits? Or you think about it and explain. It would still mean that God is heartless and would actually go through the trouble of converting all the sinful peoples' bodies into special matter that won't totally burn?
The people who will get new modified bodies are the righteous when Jesus comes back the second time for them.

1 Corinthians 15:52-53, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

Philippians 3:20-21, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." No one except God has immortality now (1 Timothy 6:15-16). But it will be given as a free gift to the righteous at Jesus' second coming. Their bodies also will be changed into heavenly, incorruptible bodies, like that of Jesus.

The unrighteous' bodies will not be transformed even after they've been raised from the dead. In fact Jesus says in Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Many believe that the soul never dies, but twice God says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4, 20. According to Scripture, the wicked will be destroyed in hellfire--both soul and body. There will be no converting of bodies for the wicked, not scripturally anyway.

Job knew where he was going when he died, he said so in Job 17;16, he said he would go down to the grave, when everyone descends together in the dust. He said EVERYONE, everyone gets interred. He never mentioned some will go to the grave and some to burn in hell. Job 21:25,26 is more detailed as to where all men go. In Job 26:6 he also says the grave, you know, 6ft under. The place of destruction is the grave, I mean the body does get destroyed because of the natural process of decay, right? Job 33:24 mentions that God spared Job from going into the pit, grave, there is never the mention of hell. It's VERY clear that a faithful servant of God had knowledge of where ALL of humankind goes no matter if rich or poor, wise or stupid.
In Job 17, Job is praying for relief from his suffering. His spirit is broken and he is done with his suffering. He says in verse 1, "My spirit is broken, My days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me." In verse 16 Job is wishing for death, "Will they go down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we have rest together in the dust?”

You've got to understand what the Bible says about death first. When we die according to the Bible, Ecclesiastes 12:7, "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it." What is the "spirit" that returns to God at death?

“The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26).

“The spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3).

The spirit that returns to God at death is the breath of life. Nowhere in all of God’s book does the “spirit” have any life, wisdom, or feeling after a person dies. It is the “breath of life” and nothing more.

When people die here on earth which is also known as the "first death", they do not go to heaven or hell immediately. They don’t go anywhere, but they wait in their graves for the resurrection.

Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10, "They are unconscious. For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

Psalm 115:17, "The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence."

God says that the dead know absolutely nothing! Jesus called the unconscious state of death, sleep. Remember when Lazarus died and Jesus told the apostles that he was sleeping and they didn't understand? That story is in John 11:11–14. That is what Job was talking about in Job 17:16. "Shall we have rest together in the dust?” That is why when Jesus returns He will resurrect the righteous first and give them immortal bodies and they will rise to meet Jesus in the air.

The grave that people go to after they die is NOT the place of destruction. Not according to the entire Bible. Are you going to ignore those parts that go against your doctrine?

The book of Job says in Job 14:12, 21, "So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it." So Job understood that the dead will arise one day.

It is important to note that the Bible tells us people will be rewarded or punished at the second coming of Jesus, and not before.

Revelation 22:12, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."

Solomon pointed out the same thing as Job in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 We are all going to the SAME PLACE. We all come from the dust and we all return to the dust Genesis 2:7 That makes sense to return to the ground from where we were taken.
David also pointed out in Psalm 30:9 if there would be profit in him going down into the pit. Even though he was sinful, he NEVER said he would go to a place to be tormented after death. He only mentioned the common grave of humankind. Psalm 49:15 he told of how God would redeem him from the grave, meaning God obviously has the power to resurrect. He didn't say he would be tormented afterwards.
What Solomon meant in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 is that we all die the earthly death. That is and will be true for most people. They will all return to the dust they came from. I already posted above what Solomon says about death but I will repost it again.

Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10, "They are unconscious. For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

This is not the place of destruction nor does Solomon say it is.

When you read the Bible and what it says about death and hell, you will know that David was not talking about the grave as hell. David knew the grave wasn't hell. Psalm 115:17, "The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence." And yes David was sinful but he also repented of his sins. When we repent of our sins and walk in the light of God, He will not torment us in hell fire. Only those who never repented their sins and continued on the path of sin will.

Matthew 25:46 talks about everlasting cutting off. What does that mean? When you cut something off that doesn't do any good you throw it away, you don't mind it anymore. Same thing with human beings. It makes more sense that God would just cut off people and get it over with, rather than dealing with "eternal torment".
This isn't biblical. The Bible is clear there is going to be eternal punishment. You cannot ignore those scriptures because you can't fathom that there is going to be eternal punishment. I explained above what eternal or forever means biblically. Before we go to Matthew 25:46 that you mentioned why don't we quote what Jesus said in Matthew 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:" The purpose of the fire (hell) is to destroy Satan, his evil angels, and sin. But if we refuse to turn loose of the plague of sin, we will have to be destroyed with it, because if sin is not destroyed, it would again contaminate the universe. Now why don't we read verses 42-46 in context to understand what Jesus was saying in Matthew 25.

"for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Verse 46 mentions "everlasting punishment" NOT "eternal cutting off". What does everlasting punishment mean? As I explained above, everlasting punishment in the Bible does not mean endless time. It means the consequences of the punishment are everlasting.

Now to the concept of everlasting life which brings us to 2 Peter 3:9 where it says that Yahweh does not desire anyone to be Destroyed. What is destruction? You know what it is. That is the key right there. It doesn't say God does not desire anyone to be tormented forever it says DESTROYED.
It is true that God desires that none of us perish but that we all come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

However not all will come to repentance and so God will destroy them not because He wants to, but because sin and death will have to be destroyed along with the devil and and his angles and all the unrighteous. It will hurt God that many chose not to do His will but theirs. It will be their choices that led them to hell and eternal damnation. God has always warned us of the consequences of sin. Sin has got to come to an end.

The Bible tells us that after sin has been destroyed, there will never be sin in the universe ever again.

Nahum 1:9, "What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.

Isaiah 65:17, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."
 
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Joined
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Messages
2,622
There is hell in the Bible and it will be a place of punishment there is no doubt about that. Its so clear and makes sense. It is not a concept either, it is the truth of the Word of God.

Psalm 11:6, "Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup."
For the whole portion of the poem which that is taken:

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.


For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;

the upright will see his face.

This is not describing the afterlife. And btw it'd be utterly absurd to take the idea of God as a literal guy on a throne literally, it's poetry, Psalms is poetry/hymn/song.

Isaiah 47:14, "Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before it."
All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!
Let your astrologers come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
let them save you from what is coming upon you.
Surely they are like stubble;
the fire will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
from the power of the flame.
These are not coals for warmth;
this is not a fire to sit by.
That is all they are to you—
these you have dealt with
and labored with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;

there is not one that can save you.

No afterlife mentioned here either, just describing YHWH's justice.

Matthew 13:42, "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 24:51, "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Notice how it's called the "Parable of the weeds". Jesus spoke in parables, it's a hint for something.

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.


Hebrews 10:29, "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?"
The whole passage:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,
“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”
And,
“But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

This passage just reinstates the same notion of YHWH's direct justice as taught in the Old Testament. YHWH destroys entire cities remember.....

Revelation 20:10, "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
This passage speaks for itself:

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Seriously, how literal are you gonna take that passage? :rolleyes:



Anyway, for anyone else reading. Don't forget this crucial fact:

Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol,doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.
- Deuteronomy 4:23-26

And it is re-stated at the end of Hebrews 12:

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
- Hebrews 12:25-29


God is symbolized as fire in Zoroastrianism too, which is awesome btw. Cyrus the Great (a Persian Zoroastrian ruler) is praised in the book of Isaiah, so there is clear mutual respect going on there.
 
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Also, two more passages, from Leviticus this time:

Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:
“‘Among those who approach me
I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’”

Aaron remained silent.
- Leviticus 9:23 - 10:3



Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.
- Leviticus 10:6-7
 

Axl888

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https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/hell-sheol-hades-paradise-and-the-grave/

Hell, Sheol, Hades, Paradise, and the Grave
by W. Edward Bedore, Th.D.

There seems to be some confusion about the meaning of Hell and who goes there because of the way the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades have been translated in our English Bibles. Since this confusion has led some into an erroneous understanding of what the Bible actually teaches about the intermediate state and the final state of the dead, we think that it is important that we address this subject here.
Sheol is found in the Bible sixty-five times. It is translated “the pit” three times, “the grave” thirty-one times, and “hell” thirty-one times. Hades is used eleven times, being rendered “hell” ten times and “grave” once. Adding to the confusion is that two other words are also translated hell in the New Testament. These are Tartarus, which is found once and Gehenna, which is used twelve times.
The term “Hell” is commonly understood to mean a place of torment where the souls of the wicked go after physical death. This is true. However, because Hades in the New Testament and Sheol in the Old are variously rendered hell or grave, there has been some misunderstanding about what hell and the grave are. Before looking at these words though, we should first give our attention to the Greek word Gehenna, which is always translated hell and used in reference to the Lake of Fire. It is found in Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; and James 3:6.
THE FINAL HELL
The Lake of Fire, or Hell, is a literal place of everlasting fire that was originally created by God as a place of punishment for Satan and the angels that followed him in his rebellion against God (Mat. 25:41). Because it is referred to as the place of “outer darkness” (Mat. 8:12; 25:30), we believe that it is most probably located at the farthest reaches of the creation. Gehenna is described in Scripture as a “furnace of fire” (Mat. 13:42); “everlasting punishment” (Mat. 25:46); “the mist [gloom] of darkness” (II Pet. 2:17); the “hurt of the second death” (Rev. 2:11 cf. 20:6,14; 21:8); “a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10; 21:8).
While Hell was created for Satan and the other fallen angels, the unsaved of humanity from all ages will be with them in this place of torment where “there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Mat. 13:42). This is the “everlasting reward” of all that die in their sins.
While there is no one in the Lake of Fire at this time, it will one day hold a vast multitude. The first residents of this place of righteous retribution will be the Beast (Antichrist) and the False Prophet who, at the end of the Tribulation, will be “cast alive into a lake burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:19-20). Joining them will be the unsaved of the nations who survive the Tribulation (Mat. 25:31-32,41-46). Also, at Jesus Christ’s return to earth, the rebel Israelites, i.e. unbelieving Jews, who survive the Tribulation, will be denied entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, no doubt to join their Gentile counterparts in the “place of everlasting fire” (Eze. 20:33-38; Mat. 7:21-23; cf. Mat. 24:29-31,45-51). Then, at the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Satan will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). And finally, the unsaved dead of all ages will be raised and judged at the Great White Throne by Jesus Christ and then cast into the Lake of Fire (see Rev. 20:11-15).
The name Gehenna comes from a deep narrow ravine south of Jerusalem where some Hebrew parents actually sacrificed their children to the Ammonite god, Molech, during the time of the kings (II Kin. 16;3; II Chron. 28:1-3; cf. Lev. 18:21; I Kin. 11:5,7,33). This pagan deity is also referred to as Malcham, Milcom, and Moloch in the Bible. This valley later served as the city dump and, because there was continual burning of refuse there, it became a graphic symbol of the place of punishment for the wicked. It was named the “Valley of Hinnom,” which translated into Greek becomes Gehenna. The passages where the word is found in the New Testament plainly show that it was a commonly used expression for Hell by that time. The word is found twelve times in the Scriptures, being used eleven times by the Lord Jesus and once by James. When we consider the context, it is clear the Lord used this word in reference to the place of everlasting punishment for the wicked dead and not to the city dump.
Gehenna, or the Lake of Fire, might be referred to as the future, or final, Hell because it is where all of the wicked from all ages will finally end up. Satan, the fallen angels, and all of the lost of mankind will reside in torment there forever and ever.
SHEOL/HADES: THE PRESENT HELL
Scripture passages in which Gehenna is used should be distinguished from those using Hades, which refers to a place of temporary torment that we might refer to as the immediate, or present, Hell. What we mean by this is that, at the time of death, the souls of the lost go directly to Hades, where they suffer in torment until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment when they will be resurrected and cast into the Lake of Fire. The souls of all the lost who have already died are presently there and those who die in their sins immediately go there to join them.
Hades is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament word Sheol. The Greek and Hebrew words speak of the same place, the present Hell. However, this is problematic because Sheol has been translated “grave” as often as it has “hell” and some have mistakenly taught that Sheol and Hades are only references to the grave rather than Hell. This erroneous teaching leads to the denial of the existence of an immediate or present Hell. The false doctrine of soul-sleep, and other ideas that teach the unconscious state of the dead between death and resurrection, spring from this error.
The common word for “grave” in the Old Testament is queber. Of the sixty-four times it is used, it is translated “grave” thirty-four times, “sepulcher” twenty-six times, and “burying place” four times. Queber is used five additional times as part of a place name, Kibroth-hattaavah, which means “graves of lust.” As we said earlier, Sheol is found sixty-four times, being rendered “grave” thirty-one times, “hell” thirty-one times, and “pit” three times.
A comparison of how Sheol and queber are used reveals eight points of contrast that tell us that they are not the same thing.
  1. Sheol is never used in plural form. Queber is used in the plural 29 times.
  2. It is never said that the body goes to Sheol. Queber speaks of the body going there 37 times.
  3. Sheol is never said to be located on the face of the earth. Queber is mentioned 32 times as being located on the earth.
  4. An individual’s Sheol is never mentioned. An individual’s queber is mentioned 5 times.
  5. Man is never said to put anyone into Sheol. Individuals are put into a queber by man (33 times).
  6. Man is never said to have dug or fashioned a Sheol. Man is said to have dug, or fashioned, a queber (6 times).
  7. Man is never said to have touched Sheol. Man touches, or can touch, a queber (5 times).
  8. It is never said that man is able to possess a Sheol. Man is spoken of as being able to possess a queber (7 times). (These eight points of comparison are adapted from “Life and Death” by Caleb J. Baker, Bible Institute Colportage Ass’n, 1941).
From the differences between how Sheol and queber are used in Scripture, it is obvious that they are not the same thing. The Greek word Hades in the New Testament would fit into the Sheol column of our chart, strongly indicating that it is the same thing as Sheol. Hades is used eleven times, being rendered Hell ten times and grave once.
Words associated with queber are quabar and qeburah. Quabar is a verb meaning to bury or to be buried and qeburah is a noun meaning a grave or place of burial. The use of these related words helps to reinforce the difference between queber and Sheol, as they clearly have to do with the grave as a burial place, while Sheol does not.
EXAMPLES SHOWING THAT SHEOL IS NOT A BURIAL PLACE
1. After selling Joseph into slavery, his brothers stained his coat with blood and used it to convince their father that he had been killed by a wild animal (Gen. 37:26-36). Jacob’s sons and daughters tried “to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, `for I will go down into the grave (Sheol) unto my son mourning’. Thus his father wept for him” (v. 35).
From Jacob’s words it is clear that he fully intended to eventually be reunited with his son in a tangible way. Obviously then, he did not simply have in mind the idea of joining him in burial as he believed that Joseph’s body had not been buried at all, but was eaten by an animal (v. 33). This being the case, it was impossible for Jacob to think he would join Joseph in burial. Obviously, he looked forward to being reunited with him in the place of the departed dead, not in burial. The word rendered grave in this passage is Sheol, the abode of the souls of those who have died.
2. After Jacob died, Joseph had his body mummified, a process that took forty days, then took him back to Canaan for burial (Gen. 50:1-14). When we add to that the thirty days of mourning (Gen. 50:2-4), and the time it took to travel to Canaan for the funeral (Gen. 50:5-13), we see that it was several weeks after Jacob was “gathered unto his people” (Gen. 49:33) before his body was placed in the cave that served as his burial place. Considering that he had been dead for well over two months before his body was buried and that the Scriptures state that at the time he died he was “gathered to his people” (Gen. 49:33) is telling. This shows that at the time of physical death, when “he yielded up the spirit,” his soul immediately departed his body to be with Isaac and Abraham. This cannot be a reference to his body being gathered together with their bodies, as that did not take place for over ten weeks. This is strong proof that Sheol does not mean a burial place for the body, but is the place where the souls of the departed reside.
3. That communication takes place in Sheol/Hades tells us that something other than a burial place is in view. In Isaiah 14:4-20, we find the prophet foretelling the eventual defeat and death of the king of Babylon. The nation that would eventually send Judah into captivity will itself be defeated and its mighty king will find himself among “the chief ones of the earth…the kings of the nations” (Isa. 14:9) who preceded him in death. These are the kings of nations that he had conquered with the sword and ruled over with a cruel hand (Isa. 14:6). These same men will serve as a welcoming committee for this once great “world ruler” when he arrives in Sheol/Hades. In mock surprise, they will ask this once powerful king, “Art thou also become weak as we? Are thou become like unto us?” (Isa. 14:10). They then taunt him by pointing out that the pretentious display of magnificence that he had demonstrated as the king of Babylon now meant nothing (Isa. 14:11).
All of those who find themselves in this section of Sheol/Hades, like the king of Babylon and the kings who greeted him, will be faced with the reality of how helpless and hopeless they are. One of the boasts these kings make against him is that, while their bodies have been placed in their respective tombs, or graves, he was not honored by a respectable burial, “But thou are cast out of the grave (queber) like an abominable (despised) branch…thou shalt not be joined with them in burial” (Isa. 14:18-20). Obviously, if his body was not in any grave at all, he was not simply joining them in burial.
What we see here is this man going into Sheol, while at the same time his body is cast out of its grave. Obviously then, Sheol cannot be the grave here as the body and soul are in different places, the soul going to Sheol while the body remains unburied, or outside of the grave (vs. 20) to be infested by maggots (vs. 11). It is true that this is a prophetic passage; and there are various opinions as to the identity of the person in view here (verses 12-15 are commonly thought to refer to Satan, the power behind the Gentile kings). But, regardless of who this prophecy is about, or whether it has already been fulfilled or not, does not change the fact that Sheol and the grave are to be regarded as different places in this passage of Scripture.
4. In the case of Samuel and Saul, we find another example of the Scriptures making a distinction between Sheol/Hades and the grave. In his conversation with King Saul, Samuel, whom the Lord had sent back from the dead to deliver a message to Saul, said that Saul and his sons would be with him the next day (see I Sam. 28:15-19). As foretold, Saul and his sons did die the next day while in battle with the Philistines (see I Sam. 31:1-6). However, their bodies were not buried the next day, so they did not join Samuel in the grave but their souls went down to Sheol/Hades where the person, or soul, of Samuel was. As it is said that Samuel “came up” it seems obvious that he went back down after speaking with Saul (I Sam. 28:8,11,14). As for the bodies of Saul and his sons, their remains were not buried for several days. As Samuel had said, they died the next day (I Sam. 31:1-6). But it was the day after they died that their bodies were taken by the Philistines and hung on the wall of Beth-Shan (I Sam. 31:7-10). After hearing of this, valiant men from Jabesh-Gilead went by night and removed their bodies, took them to Jabesh, burned them, and then buried their bones. All this took place at least three days after Saul had died, and probably longer. Saul and his sons joined Samuel in Sheol/Hades the day they died and the flesh of their bodies was burned with only their bones being placed in a grave several days later. Obviously Sheol/Hades and the grave are not the same thing, nor are they in the same place.
The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus that is found in Luke 16:19-31 gives us the record of a remarkable conversation that took place in Hades between the Rich Man and Abraham. Obviously, these two men could not have had this conversation at all if Sheol/Hades is only a place where dead bodies are buried. First, there could be no communication between lifeless, decaying corpses and second, Abraham’s body, which was buried in the cave of Machpelah over 1800 years earlier, had long since decayed. Also, the rich man’s body, regardless of whether it had decayed or not, would not have been buried in the burial cave of Abraham. From the context, it is obvious that these men were in the place of departed souls rather than a burial place.
There are some that contend that this is a parable that never actually took place and deny that it could have ever taken place. To these, who usually hold to a position of soul-sleep or the eradication of the soul at death, we answer; the Lord said that it did take place. Besides, as we have already pointed out, a parable by definition is a “true to life” story. To have meaning, it must be a story that could have actually taken place whether it ever did or not.
DEATH AND SHEOL
Death and Sheol/Hades are linked together at least thirty-three times in the Scriptures. In these, we see a general distinction between the “outward man,” which is the body and the “inward man,” which is the soul (cf. II Cor. 4:16). In this sense, death, or the grave, claims the physical part of man, the body, while Sheol/Hades claims the separated, spiritual part of man, the soul. This is exactly the meaning of Psalm 16:10: “For Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell (Sheol); neither will Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.” In his Pentecostal address, Peter left no room for doubt that this was a prophetic pronouncement concerning the time between the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross and His resurrection. First, he quoted Psalm 16:8-11 (Acts 2:25-28) and then made direct application of verse 10 to Christ (Acts 2:31). Not only was the Lord Jesus’ soul not left in Sheol/Hades, but neither was His body left to rot in the grave. That Peter used Hades, the place of Sheol, in this quotation shows that they are identical in meaning.
Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ is exceptional because He had the power not only to lay down His life on our behalf, but also to take it up again (Jn. 10:17,18). This is not so of any other man, as the Psalmist points out when he asks, rhetorically, “What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave (Sheol)?” (Ps. 89:48). Because of the curse of sin, all of mankind faces the reality of physical death. None can evade it by their own power, nor can any man or woman escape from Sheol/Hades on their own. We know that since the Cross the souls of those who die “in Christ” do not go to Sheol/Hades, but to heaven. However, this is through the merit of Jesus Christ and His power, not their own. For those “in Christ,” death has no sting and Sheol/Hades has no victory because their body and soul will be united in a resurrection unto life (see I Cor. 15:19,20,51-57). This is as certain as the fact of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. This is not so for those who die without Christ for they face a resurrection unto judgment, which is referred to as the “second death” (Rev. 20:13,14; 21:8).
Psalm 89:48 speaks of the time when the soul is separated from the body. The body is given over to death where it will decay, while the soul is assigned to Sheol/Hades to await the final judgment. It is clear that the body and soul of the lost will be reunited at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved dead, when “death and Hades” will deliver up the dead that are in them. That is, their bodies will be raised from the grave, or death, and reunited with the soul, which will come out of Sheol/Hades to be judged by Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne (see Rev. 20:11-15; cf. Jn. 5:28,29).
When the Lord Jesus said that “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mat. 12:40), He was saying that He would spend the time between His death and resurrection in Sheol/Hades. We know from Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:25-32 that the Lord’s soul, which was made an offering for sin (Isa. 53:10), was in Sheol/Hades, and we know from Matthew 12:40 that He was in the heart of the earth, which is where we believe that Sheol/Hades is located.
When we speak of the heart of something, we are not referring to that which is superficial or only skin-deep. Symbolically, the heart signifies the innermost character, feelings, or inclinations of a man. The heart is also used when referring to the center, or core, of something. For example; it is sometimes said, “the heart of a watermelon is the best part,” meaning that the center part of the watermelon tastes better than the part closer to the rind. If we say that we have a “heart-felt desire” for a particular area of ministry, we would be speaking of a yearning to do the Lord’s work that comes from our innermost being as opposed to a superficial desire based on the emotions of the moment. When used figuratively in the Scriptures, the word “heart” is used in a similar fashion, thus the heart of the earth gives reference to something much deeper than a simple place of burial for a man’s body barely under the surface of the earth. That it is said that before His ascension the Lord Jesus first descended “into the lower parts of the earth” (Eph. 4:9) affirms this. In a Psalm of thanksgiving for being delivered from death, David makes reference to this by distinguishing between Sheol/Hades (rendered grave in the KJV) and Queber (rendered pit in this passage) (Ps. 30:1-3).
In Ezekiel we find prophecies against the kings of Assyria (Ezek. 31) and Egypt (Ezek. 32) that indicate that Sheol/Hades is in the center of the earth. In these two chapters it speaks of the fall of these mighty kings, who in death ended up in the underworld with those who have gone before them. We do not have the space here to give extensive commentary on these two chapters. But we do want to point out that in regard to both kings it is said that in death they would go “to the nether parts of the earth…with them that go down into the pit” (see Ezek. 31:14,16,18; 32:18,24), the “nether parts” being the lower regions of the earth. We should take note that in chapter thirty-one it is being pointed out to Pharaoh that just as the king of Assyria, who was greater than he was, had died and gone into the underworld, so would he.
In chapter thirty-two we find a prophecy, given in the form of a lamentation, foretelling Pharaoh’s defeat by the king of Babylon (Ezek. 32:1-16). This is followed by a lamentation over the multitude of Egyptians who would be slain by the Babylonians (Ezek. 31:17-31). We have pictured for us those of the nations who preceded them, welcoming Pharaoh and his host as they arrived in Sheol/Hades by taunting them. They point out that the Egyptians had thought themselves to be invincible because of their strength and fame among the nations. But now they were just like the great nations who had gone before them, their individual souls being confined to Sheol/Hades while their bodies decay in the grave.
“The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell (Sheol)…” (Ezek. 32:21). The “strong among the mighty” spoken of here refers to the men who had been the kings and leaders of the different nations that are mentioned in this passage: Asshor, or Assyria (v. 22), Elam (v. 24), Meshech and Tubal (v. 26), Edom, her kings and her princes (v. 29), the princes of the north and the Zidonians (v. 30). This passage shows that while those of each group mentioned are in their respective burial places, their quebers, they are at the same time all together in “the pit,” which is an expression that is sometimes used for Sheol/Hades (vv. 18,25,29). These are similar examples as that found in Isaiah 14, which we have previously looked at.
While we have not exhausted the subject by looking at every passage that Sheol is found in, it is clear from these examples that Sheol is not simply the grave but is located at the center of the earth and is the abode of the souls of the unrighteous dead who are awaiting their resurrection unto condemnation. It is equally clear that those in Sheol/Hades are not in an unconscious state of existence but are quite aware of what is going on around them. There is memory, recognition, and communication there.
TARTARUS
The Apostle Peter used the word Tartarus in reference to “the angels that sinned” that God delivered to Sheol/Hades to await judgment (II Pet. 2:4). This word, which is translated “hell” in the KJV, was used in Greek mythology to refer to the place of punishment for the most wicked. It is not clear if Peter was using this word in reference to Sheol/Hades in a general way or if he was referring to a specific compartment of Sheol/Hades where a certain class of fallen angels are confined awaiting final judgment. Either way, this passage teaches that there is a place of confinement in which a particular group of beings are being held until the time of their judgment. This is consistent with the overall Biblical teaching about the existence and purpose of Sheol/Hades.
PARADISE
While Paradise is not now a part of Sheol/Hades it will be mentioned here because it was located in Sheol/Hades at one time. Before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ everybody who died went to Sheol/Hades, which was at that time divided into at least two compartments. One was a place of torment while the other was a place of blessing, which was referred to as Abraham’s Bosom (Lk. 16:22-25). As we mentioned before, Tartarus may be a specific place in Sheol/Hades.
We know that Jesus Christ went “into the lower parts of the earth” (Eph. 4:9), that is to Sheol/Hades, “in the heart of the earth,” for three days and nights while his body was in the grave (Mat. 12:40). The Lord Jesus told the repentant thief that he would join Him in Paradise that same day (Lk. 23:42,43). This tells us that Paradise was located in Sheol/Hades at that time. We believe that this was the same place referred to as Abraham’s Bosom in Luke 16. However, after Jesus Christ rose from the dead He ascended to the Father, taking the saints who were in Abraham’s Bosom to heaven with Him. Thus, He took “captivity captive” (see Eph. 4:8-10).
That Paradise was moved to heaven is confirmed to us by the Apostle Paul who speaks of a man who was “caught up into Paradise” where he “heard unspeakable words” (II Cor. 12:3,4). With Jesus Christ’s work complete, the believers who had been confined to Sheol/Hades were now taken to Heaven to wait in God’s presence until the time of their resurrection to enter His Kingdom on Earth. Since that time, at death all believers go to Paradise in Heaven to await the time of their resurrection. This is true whether they belong to the Kingdom Church of the future or the Body of Christ Church of the present Dispensation of Grace.
THE GRAVE
We have already looked at the word queber, the most common word for grave, or a burial place, in the Old Testament, and have shown that it is not the same as Sheol. As previously stated, of the sixty-four times it is used it is rendered “grave” thirty-four times, “sepulcher” twenty-six times, and “burying place” four times. Two other words that are used for a burial place in the Old Testament are Shah-ghath and Qeburah.
Shah-ghath:
This word is translated “grave” once (Job 33:22). It is rendered “ditch” twice, “destruction” twice, “corruption” four times, and “pit” thirteen times. This word speaks of something that man can dig (Ps. 94:13; Prov. 26:27) and is used in reference to a hole into which a man can fall (Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27), and a hole used as a trap (Ps. 35:7). It is a place where the physical body suffers destruction through the corruption of decay (Ps. 16:10; 49:9; 55:23). The basic meaning is that of a hole of some kind that man digs for a particular purpose. Generally, it is used of a burial place, i.e., a grave.
Qeburah: This word is related to queber and means a grave or burial place. It is used of various types of graves and is found fourteen times and is translated “grave” four times, “sepulcher” five times, “burial” four times, and “burying place” one time.
In the New Testament we find three more words that refer to the grave, taphos, mnema, and mnemeion.
Taphos is used seven times and is translated “sepulcher” six of those and “tomb” once.
Mnema is used seven times, being rendered “tomb” twice, “grave” once, and “sepulcher” four times.
Mnemeion is the most common word for grave in the New Testament. It is used forty-two times, five times as “tomb,” twenty-nine times as “sepulcher,” and eight times as “grave.”
The grave is a place where the physical remains of those who have died are deposited. It can be a hole in the ground, a cave, or a specially prepared vault or other place used for interment. The soul and spirit having departed the body at death, there is no consciousness of life in the grave. It is a place of corruption that serves to point out man’s need of a Savior. The soul of man lives on after physical death and will always remain in a conscious state of being. The unsaved go to Sheol/Hades to await their resurrection unto condemnation while the redeemed go to heaven to await their resurrection unto life (see Jn. 5:25-29).
PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR TODAY
A proper understanding of what the Bible teaches about Hell, Sheol, Hades, and the Grave dispels confusion over what happens to the soul at the time of physical death and guards against being led astray by those teaching the false doctrines of soul-sleep, eradication of the soul, the universal reconciliation of mankind, and the annihilation of the lost. All of these erroneous doctrines are of Satan, used of him to dishearten believers and blind the lost to the reality of the cost of spurning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our thinking, and therefore our life on a day-to-day basis, is influenced by what we believe. While some of the false doctrines mentioned above are diametrically opposed to each other, they still have one thing in common. They subvert the truth of the immortality of the soul.
 
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Many religious groups portray God as a being who tortures people eternally for their sins. But how can anyone worship a god who sets up fallible humans to be forever tormented in hell?

Among the approximate 6.7 billion people in the world, more than 2 billion are Christians and about 1.3 billion are Muslims. Together these two religions claim about half of the world’s population, and both groups believe in an ever-burning place of damnation. The concept of hell also has a place in Judaism and, though it takes on different forms, in Eastern religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. The idea of perpetual (or near-perpetual) torment is so prevalent in the world’s religions and cultures that if you mention “hell,” a certain concept immediately comes into people’s minds.

With Christianity being the world’s largest religion, it seems only reasonable to explore what the “Book of books,” the Bible, has to say on the subject. But the adherents of Judaism and Islam also share the epithet “People of the Book,” because they acknowledge a common heritage—a lineage that traces back to Abraham and thus a shared respect for many of the individuals we read about in the Old Testament.

We begin with a brief look at the concept of hell as taught by Islam and Christianity.

A FIERY FATE
Muhammad, recognized as the founding prophet of Islam, lived about 600 years after Jesus Christ. By that time the concept of hell was already well established in Christianity, and Muhammad adopted it into the new religion. In fact, hell and final judgment are among the dominant themes of the Qur’an, which warns, “Surely, those who disbelieve in our revelations, we will condemn them to the hellfire. Whenever their skins are burnt, we will give them new skins. Thus, they will suffer continuously” (Sura 4:56, Khalifa translation). Numerous verses relegate unbelievers to this fiery hell, “wherein they abide forever.”

Christianity, including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, is also largely framed within concepts of judgment and, for those who fail to meet the necessary criteria, eternal suffering in hell. The Athanasian Creed, thought by modern scholars to date from the fifth or early sixth century and venerated by the Roman Catholic Church and many Protestant churches, ends with these words: “They that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.”

Playing a key role in the development of the Christian doctrine of an ever-burning hell was Augustine, the influential fourth-century bishop of Hippo in North Africa. A leading definer of subsequent Christian faith, he wrote a number of books, some of which are considered to be among the great literary works of Western civilization.

Augustine wrote that “hell, which also is called a lake of fire and brimstone, will be material fire, and will torment the bodies of the damned.” He also wrote of “those everlasting pains which are to follow” the final judgment (City of God 21.10, 13). The bishop argued that every child born is immediately and automatically condemned by Adam and Eve’s first sin. On that basis all those not baptized into orthodox Christianity, including newborn infants and others who have never so much as heard of Jesus Christ, are subject to punishment. One might well ask, how can that be fair on God’s part? Yet Augustine’s arguments are held up even now as foundational to what many Christian churches believe and teach.

Nearly a thousand years after Augustine, the Italian Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy. Dante was a committed Roman Catholic, a politician, a poet and a philosopher. His work, like Augustine’s, is considered one of the cornerstones of Western religious ideas. In Dante’s story he takes a guided tour through the afterlife. He goes first to hell, then to purgatory, and finally to paradise, and he writes about everything he sees. His gruesome picture of hell has taken root in Western society, having inspired such notables as Michelangelo, Gustave Doré, Sandro Botticelli, John Milton and T.S. Eliot.

KINDLED BY THE ANCIENTS
From where did Augustine and Dante get their ideas about a never-ending suffering in store for sinners? Is it biblical? It’s true that by the time of Christ, Judaism had incorporated related concepts into its belief system, though in earlier times it did not teach that an ever-burning hell was to be the fate of the unsaved. Nor did the early New Testament Church teach it. The doctrine has its roots elsewhere.

Dante’s guide through the netherworld was Virgil, the first-century-B.C.E. Roman poet. In his epic poem Aeneid, the hero, Aeneas, is also taken on a tour of hell. Virgil’s graphic depiction of the dismal and macabre place profoundly influenced later artists and writers.

But the concept of hell as a place of torment predates Virgil as well. A number of ancient civilizations, including those of Mesopotamia, India, Egypt and Greece, held as part of their mythology the concept of an underworld—the realm of the dead. The first-century-B.C.E. Greek geographer and philosopher Strabo discussed the value of such myths, noting that “the states and the lawgivers had sanctioned them as a useful expedient.” He went on to explain that people “are deterred from evil courses when, either through descriptions or through typical representations of objects unseen, they learn of divine punishments, terrors, and threats.” In dealing with the unruly, reason or exhortation alone is not enough, wrote Strabo; “there is need of religious fear also, and this cannot be aroused without myths and marvels. . . . The founders of states gave their sanction to these things as bugbears wherewith to scare the simple-minded” (Geography 1.2.8).

With the rise of Western philosophy at the hands of Socrates and his intellectual heirs Plato and Aristotle, concepts of life, death and the hereafter took on new dimensions. In the East, too, the afterlife continued to stir the imagination. Strabo remarked on a group of Eastern philosophers who “weave in myths, like Plato, about the immortality of the soul and the judgments in Hades and other things of this kind” (Geography 15.1.59).

Plato (ca. 428–347 B.C.E.) became a key figure in the development of these ideas. His name appears frequently in the writings of Augustine, who noted that the Greek scholar had “perfected philosophy” and that he “is justly preferred to all the other philosophers of the Gentiles.” Though the bishop by no means endorsed all of Plato’s ideas, he did hold a number of his philosophical opinions in high regard—“opinions sometimes favorable to the true religion, which our faith takes up and defends” (City of God 8.4).

The result has been of immense importance to traditional Christianity. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, which describes Augustine as a “Christian Neoplatonist,” remarks: “One of the decisive developments in the western philosophical tradition was the eventually widespread merging of the Greek philosophical tradition and the Judeo-Christian religious and scriptural traditions. Augustine is one of the main figures through and by whom this merging was accomplished.”

One of the key tenets of Neoplatonic thought adopted by Augustine was that humans possess an immortal soul. This was a critical step in his developing the idea that unbelievers could be made to endure eternal torment in hell.

BACK TO THE BIBLE
Pagan cultures and philosophies have contributed greatly to modern concepts of hell. But what does the Bible itself say on the subject?

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as “hell” is sheol, though it actually means “the grave.” The Bible teaches that when we die, we simply go to the grave (see Psalm 49:10–11 and Ecclesiastes 3:19–20). The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible comments, “Nowhere in the Old Testament is the abode of the dead regarded as a place of punishment or torment. The concept of an infernal ‘hell’ developed in Israel only during the Hellenistic period” (beginning in the fourth century B.C.E.). Greek religious and philosophical ideas, including those of Aristotle and Plato, became influential throughout the region during that time. Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of World Religions points out that “many formal aspects of Hellenistic religion . . . persist in the Jewish and Christian traditions today.”

In the New Testament, we find that there are three Greek words translated as “hell.” The one most often used in the Gospels is gehenna, referring to the Gehenna Valley, or the Valley of Hinnom. Just outside the walls of Jerusalem, in Jesus’ day it was where the local population dumped and burned trash.

The valley is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8: “Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem).” At this time Jerusalem was in the hands of the Jebusites, and the valley marked the boundary between the lands inherited by two of the sons of Jacob—also known as Israel—namely, Judah and Benjamin.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says that the Gehenna Valley “acquired a bad reputation because sacrifices were offered in it to Moloch in the days of Ahaz and Manasseh [kings of Judah]. . . . The Valley of Hinnom came to be equated with the hell of the last judgment in apocalyptic literature”—extrabiblical Jewish writings—“from the second century B.C. . . . The name gehinnom thus came to be used for the eschatological fire of hell. This is the stage of development reflected in the New Testament. In the first century A.D. the term was further extended to cover the place where the ungodly were punished in the intermediate state, but this is not so in the New Testament” (emphasis added). It goes on to say, “In the New Testament there is no description of the torments of hell as in apocalyptic literature,” which later came to include Christian writings as well.

Again, to understand the source of the idea that people are tortured in an ever-burning hell, we have to go outside the Scriptures. That should send up a red flag for anyone who regards the Bible as his or her source of belief.

As already noted, the Hinnom Valley had taken on negative connotations over the years. According to Jeremiah 7, the Israelite inhabitants of the region had erected idols in the temple of God, and in the adjacent valley they had set up altars to these false gods. They had even burned their children on these altars to appease the pagan gods.

In Jeremiah 19:4–7, the prophet offers this message from God: “‘Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built high places to Baal to burn their sons in fire as burnt offerings to Baal, . . . therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. And in this place I will make void the plans of Judah and Jerusalem, and will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies . . . ; I will give their dead bodies for food to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth.”

This is how Gehenna was known in Jeremiah’s day. In the New Testament, the word gehenna is generally used in references to the final destruction of evildoers. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell”—gehenna (Matthew 10:28). In other words, people can kill you, but they can kill only the body. Don’t fear them; fear the One who can put an end to you forever.

Jesus used the word in other situations as well, always alluding to that burning trash heap as a metaphor for the ultimate demise of the incorrigibly wicked.

THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES
Another New Testament Greek word translated as “hell” is hades: the place of the departed, the grave, like sheol in the Old Testament. For example, in Matthew 11:23 Jesus says: “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades.” The city wasn’t going to be tormented forever; it was going to be put into the grave—destroyed.

Similarly, Jesus told His disciples that “the gates of hell [hades] shall not prevail against” the Church He established (Matthew 16:18). God’s Church will never die out or be “entombed.”

In the book of Revelation, the word translated as “hell” is always hades, meaning “the grave.” For instance, the resurrected Jesus says: “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). With these symbolic keys, the graves of the dead will be opened at some future time. At that point, according to the vision the apostle John saw, “Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them” (Revelation 20:13). Both of these verses refer simply to the grave. The latter also refers to people being resurrected to physical life. After this resurrection of the dead, “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire” (verse 14). Death itself will be destroyed—made obsolete.

Gehenna is analogous to this lake of fire, which in the end will burn up everything temporal, including the incorrigibly wicked. The apostle Peter writes that at that time “the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10, New King James Version). But that doesn’t mean that God will torment the ungodly forever; there is simply no biblical basis for that widespread teaching. As Romans 6:23 clearly states, “the wages of sin is death”—an absence of life, not an everlasting life of misery and anguish. The prophet Malachi notes that the wicked will be reduced to ashes (Malachi 4:3).

One other word is translated as “hell” in the New Testament: tartaroo. Only the apostle Peter used it, and only once, when he wrote of the holding place where wicked spirits will eventually be restrained (2 Peter 2:4). Like gehenna and hades, it has nothing to do with man suffering forever in an ever-burning hell.

But what about Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:41: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’”? The devil and his angels—or demons—are immortal spirit beings, and “the eternal fire” represents their ultimate fate: incarceration by God in order to prevent them from wreaking any more havoc on the rest of His creation. Because they are in continual rebellion against God, they will have to be restrained for all eternity. Spirit beings do not burn up or suffer pain as physical beings do, but they will be cut off from God forever. Thus the idea of being punished for all eternity applies to Satan and his demons, not to human beings.

By contrast, any person who knowingly refuses to live according to the laws that produce happiness and peace will not be resurrected to eternal life as a spirit being, as Christ was. God, in His love, doesn’t want a person living forever in an attitude of rebellion and the unhappiness such an attitude produces. Thus the incorrigibly wicked will be put out of their misery, as pictured by the fires of Gehenna. This is referred to in Revelation 20:14 as “the second death”—a permanent cessation of life. If hellfire has come to mean anything else through religious tradition, it’s important to realize that the Bible does not teach that.

In future issues, Vision will explore in greater detail the origin of concepts such as the immortality of the soul as well as the idea that all those who aren’t “saved” in this life are doomed for eternity.

SELECTED REFERENCES
  1. Augustine, City of God (translated by Marcus Dods), in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, edited by Philip Schaff (1886).
  2. Keith R. Crim and George A. Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (1976).
  3. Wendy Doniger (editor), Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of World Religions (1999).
  4. David N. Freedman (editor-in-chief), The Anchor Bible Dictionary (1992).
  5. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (editors), The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1964).
  6. Plato, Gorgias (translated by W.R.M. Lamb) in Plato in Twelve Volumes (1967).
  7. Strabo, Geography (translated by Horace L. Jones), in Loeb Classical Library (1917–1932).
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DavidSon

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Many of you believe there exists a place of fiery torment based on what the Bible "says" regarding that. Many of you have grown up with this concept and I don't expect you to agree with me right away and wholeheartedly but just be humble enough to consider this. John 8:32
The concept of hell doesn't make sense. I mean why would a person live a 100 years or less, commit sins and yet be condemned to an eternity of torment? That doesn't seem just or fair at all. So you lived so little, and yet you have to pay for eternity, it really doesn't make sense. God is Just, so even in your imperfect human being eyes this seems so imbalanced, imagine how God must think.
The concept of hell makes Yahweh seem like he is void of feelings, like he actually likes the idea of tormenting billions of people, all at once, when we know he is a loving God and detested when people would pass their children through the fire. HE NEVER approved of it. Deuteronomy 12:31 Psalms 106:37,38 2 Kings 16:3 2 Kings 21:6 Jeremiah 7:31 Jeremiah 19:4,5 32:35 Ezekiel 16:20,21 It was wicked people most likely enticed by the demons to do every sort of detestable thing to defile true worship.
Think that in order for someone to be burned in hell the person would have to be somehow modified by God to be able to "burn". If God was to resurrect people to put them in hell He would probably have to give them special bodies to be able to not completely burn or else how would they last for eternity? Spirit cannot burn or unless God would go through the task of somehow making special fire that burns spirits? Or you think about it and explain. It would still mean that God is heartless and would actually go through the trouble of converting all the sinful peoples' bodies into special matter that won't totally burn?
Job knew where he was going when he died, he said so in Job 17;16, he said he would go down to the grave, when everyone descends together in the dust. He said EVERYONE, everyone gets interred. He never mentioned some will go to the grave and some to burn in hell. Job 21:25,26 is more detailed as to where all men go. In Job 26:6 he also says the grave, you know, 6ft under. The place of destruction is the grave, I mean the body does get destroyed because of the natural process of decay, right? Job 33:24 mentions that God spared Job from going into the pit, grave, there is never the mention of hell. It's VERY clear that a faithful servant of God had knowledge of where ALL of humankind goes no matter if rich or poor, wise or stupid.
Solomon pointed out the same thing as Job in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 We are all going to the SAME PLACE. We all come from the dust and we all return to the dust Genesis 2:7 That makes sense to return to the ground from where we were taken.
David also pointed out in Psalm 30:9 if there would be profit in him going down into the pit. Even though he was sinful, he NEVER said he would go to a place to be tormented after death. He only mentioned the common grave of humankind. Psalm 49:15 he told of how God would redeem him from the grave, meaning God obviously has the power to resurrect. He didn't say he would be tormented afterwards.

Matthew 25:46 talks about everlasting cutting off. What does that mean? When you cut something off that doesn't do any good you throw it away, you don't mind it anymore. Same thing with human beings. It makes more sense that God would just cut off people and get it over with, rather than dealing with "eternal torment". Now to the concept of everlasting life which brings us to 2 Peter 3:9 where it says that Yahweh does not desire anyone to be Destroyed. What is destruction? You know what it is. That is the key right there. It doesn't say God does not desire anyone to be tormented forever it says DESTROYED.
Even though the Bible doesn't directly say there is no hell, these scriptures and more and you coming to know how God thinks and feel, will show you that there is NO HELL. The origins from this concept come from where else? The ancient pagan cities of Babylon and Assyria.
To be accurate this thread should be titled, "There is No Hell... IN THE OT." I appreciate your religious perspective but there are other traditions that lead to the Creator other than the OT.

The concept of heaven and hell are probably from far earlier than the Assyrians. They're nearly universal. We know that in the 2nd temple era Jews developed various beliefs surrounding resurrection of the dead, including aspects of gehinnom. Kabbalist Judaism describes levels of hell. By the period of late antiquity Christianity had integrated the same idioms related to the underworld. It is noted that while references to heaven are more common in the Quran, there are many verses about hell and punishment.

What's difficult to measure, and where theological disputes happen, is how literally should we accept these statements in religious scripture? To say that someone will "burn in hell", was it intended for us to imagine the physical act? They are words relaying an idea. In my opinion (and that of others) is that hell is the torment of death and guilt being separated from the Holy One. Whether here or the life after, the consequence of disobeying your conscience (disobeying nature) is severe. This is what the prophets warn about.

I think we're hardwired differently. Some people have to see things as exact, literal realities. Others are able to respect the imagery while experiencing the hidden/deeper teaching within a concept. This is another explanation:

"According to Jewish teachings, hell is not entirely physical; rather, it can be compared to a very intense feeling of shame. People are ashamed of their misdeeds and this constitutes suffering which makes up for the bad deeds. When one has so deviated from the will of God, one is said to be in Gehinnom. This is not meant to refer to some point in the future, but to the very present moment."

It's only the wicked abusers who care if there's a heaven and hell lol. This is why the saints have no problem with the concept, because they're free from worry either way. Judgment and the afterlife are a mirror to our life in this instant.

In Luke 20 Jesus gave a lesson to his followers about where to place our attention:

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
 

DavidSon

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"The gates of hell are three: lust, wrath and avarice(greed). They destroy the Self. Avoid them. These are the gates which lead to darkness; if a man avoid them he will ensure his own welfare, and in the end will attain his liberation. But he who neglects the commands of the scriptures, and follows the promptings of passion, he does not attain perfection, happiness or the final goal. Therefore whenever there is doubt whether thou should do a thing or not, let the scriptures guide thy conduct. In the light of the scriptures should thou labor the whole of thy life.”- Bhagavad Gita
 

Vixy

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Tell that to these people:


There are hundreds and hudnreds of these videos so I cant link them all but a MARINE holding up his ID and talking about these things plus everybody describing it the same without knowing each other is cred in my book. However, fools never listens to wisdom!
 

Red Sky at Morning

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I think the beginnings of an answer to the question in the OP comes in an understanding of the nature of man himself.

That is Body, Soul and either regenerated Spirit, or dead sin nature. As a born again Christian, your spirit is made alive and that works out to your soul (or personality) as well as your body. People who have not come to Jesus in repentance and faith are still under the control of their spirit that died in Adam.


I think it would be fair to say that the understanding above was not fully revealed in the OT, but is made very clear in the NT. Below, David Daniels unpacks the “Final Destination” of body, soul and spirit. It seems that for those who insist on rebellion and refuse to repent, the sin nature that they do cherish will be the only thing about “them” that will not die.

 

DesertRose

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We are limited and we can never encompass all His knowledge in this test called life.
As humans we can not humanize God. His knowledge and wisdom and empathy far exceeds ours.
Our empathy for others and ourselves is but an iota of His Compassion and Mercy.
He is more loving and compassionate than we are, but there is such a thing as divine wisdom that surpasses our capacity for rationalization.
There is wisdom and knowledge behind the creation of hellfire and paradise and we do not have access to all the reasons.
We can trust in His Perfect Judgement, Wisdom and Compassion

Quran and some Prophetic sayings on this:
Allah’s mercy is bestowed on all His creatures and is seen in everything around us — in the water we drink, in the air we breathe, in the sunshine we enjoy, and so on. Allah says,
{Your Lord has inscribed for Himself (the rule of) mercy}* (Al-An`am 6:54)
{And My Mercy embraces all things}* (Al-A`raf 7:156)
The Prophet said, “When Allah created the creatures, He wrote in the Book, which is with Him over His Throne: “Verily, My Mercy prevailed over My Wrath.”
(Al-Bukhari)
He also said, “Allah has divided mercy into 100 parts, and He retained with Him 99 parts, and sent down to earth 1 part. Through this one part creatures deal with one another with compassion, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof over its young lest it should hurt it.” (Al-Bukhari)
Prophet Muhammad said, “Those who show mercy to their fellow beings will be shown mercy by the Merciful Lord. So, show mercy to those on the earth, and He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." Az-Zumar 39:53
The idea is that those who do wrong are hurting themselves, however, Allah’s forgiveness has no limits and the only condition is that we should repent and pray for His Mercy.
The Qur’an tells us of the angels praying for the believers:
*{Our Lord, You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge. So, forgive those who repent and follow Your way and save them from the torment of the Blazing Fire}* (Ghafir 40:7)
The infinite mercy of Allah the Most Compassionate, the Most Forgiving, manifested itself when Allah sent His messengers and revealed to them His books. And He has guaranteed His special mercy to those who are willing to accept His guidance:
*{O humankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord and a healing for that (disease) which is in your breasts — a guidance and a mercy for the believers}* (Yunus 10:57)
And to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) Allah said what means:
*{And We have sent you not (O Muhammad), but as a mercy for all}* (Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:107)
*{And He is the Oft-Forgiving and Loving}* (Al-Buruj 85:14)
 
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yoongiyoongi

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I recommend this video ,please watch at your own discretion,and don't forget its better to embrace the truth than run away from it and find various reasons to deny it (I hope this makes sense) :,!
 
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