What is Hell?

[CoreyD]

Please describe and explain what hell is, using scriptures.
Thank you?

Edit:
All posts not having an explanation, description, and scripture, will be ignored... starting with @Clare73.
Thank you.

 

[Clare73]

Please describe and explain what hell is, using scriptures.
Thank you?

All imply eternal separation from God.

 

[rturner76]

From my understanding, the theological defenition of "hell," is "a place without God." I would not want to live in a place like that. God is Love. In hell, there can be no love there without God's presence.

Amen?

 

[Matt5]

Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) makes a connection between the harvests and hell #3: weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the harvests come shortly before the arrival of Jesus, and you do something wrong, then hell #3 is your fate.

What the Hell: Finding Out “Hell” Isn’t in the Bible | by Shelby Bennett Hanson | Christianish | Medium
https://medium.com/christianish/what-the-hell-finding-out-hell-isnt-in-the-bible-7028acb3ecee

From the article, we can see there are really three hells:

1. In the grave.
2. Imprisonment for fallen angels.
3. Weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

What did Jesus say about death?

Jesus made clear statements throughout His ministry about what does and doesn’t happen after a person dies.

In John 11, Jesus resurrected His friend Lazarus (the brother of Mary and Martha, not the character in the parable). Before doing so, He told His disciples: “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (verse 11). When the disciples were confused about what He meant, Jesus clarified that He meant Lazarus was dead (verses 13-14).

Jesus likened death to sleep—a state of unconsciousness. Jesus’ words harmonize with other scriptures that show the dead have no conscious thoughts (Ecclesiastes 9:5). ...

If the dead have no conscious thoughts, then what is hell #3?

Hell #3 is directly caused by a harvest. A harvest is nuclear war (Isaiah 17 and 18). A fatal dose of radiation causes weeping (screaming) and gnashing of the teeth due to the extreme pain. This suffering will last for days before going to hell #1.

Notice that there is no hell #3 in the old testament. It only arises from the return of Jesus.

 

[CoreyD]

Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) makes a connection between the harvests and hell #3: weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the harvests come shortly before the arrival of Jesus, and you do something wrong, then hell #3 is your fate.

What the Hell: Finding Out “Hell” Isn’t in the Bible | by Shelby Bennett Hanson | Christianish | Medium
https://medium.com/christianish/what-the-hell-finding-out-hell-isnt-in-the-bible-7028acb3ecee

From the article, we can see there are really three hells:

1. In the grave.
2. Imprisonment for fallen angels.
3. Weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

What did Jesus say about death?

Jesus made clear statements throughout His ministry about what does and doesn’t happen after a person dies.

In John 11, Jesus resurrected His friend Lazarus (the brother of Mary and Martha, not the character in the parable). Before doing so, He told His disciples: “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (verse 11). When the disciples were confused about what He meant, Jesus clarified that He meant Lazarus was dead (verses 13-14).

Jesus likened death to sleep—a state of unconsciousness. Jesus’ words harmonize with other scriptures that show the dead have no conscious thoughts (Ecclesiastes 9:5). ...

If the dead have no conscious thoughts, then what is hell #3?

Hell #3 is directly caused by a harvest. A harvest is nuclear war (Isaiah 17 and 18). A fatal dose of radiation causes weeping (screaming) and gnashing of the teeth due to the extreme pain. This suffering will last for days before going to hell #1.

Notice that there is no hell #3 in the old testament. It only arises from the return of Jesus.

Thank you.
I'll come back to your post momentarily.

 

[HarleyER]

From my understanding, the theological defenition of "hell," is "a place without God." I would not want to live in a place like that. God is Love. In hell, there can be no love there without God's presence.

Amen?

God is omnipresent (everywhere). So, God will be in hell otherwiise He would not be omnipresent. God is just not affected by it, since He is Spirit.

There are multiple verses that explains this but one such one is:

God's will be present but He will not hear the cries of the unbelievers:
Deuteronomy 31:17 Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’

Hell is also

Firey:
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Never ending fire:
Mark 9:43
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

Darkness:
2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

Torment:
Luke 16:23
In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

 

[CoreyD]

Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) makes a connection between the harvests and hell #3: weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the harvests come shortly before the arrival of Jesus, and you do something wrong, then hell #3 is your fate.

What the Hell: Finding Out “Hell” Isn’t in the Bible | by Shelby Bennett Hanson | Christianish | Medium
https://medium.com/christianish/what-the-hell-finding-out-hell-isnt-in-the-bible-7028acb3ecee

Thanks for the article.
I extracted some excerpts.

Spoiler: Excerpts

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word sheol is used frequently and was often translated “hell” in the King James Version of the Bible — arguably the most influential English translation of all time. But sheol doesn’t have a very specific connotation in its Hebrew context. The first use is in Genesis 37:35, as the Israelite patriarch Jacob grieves the loss of his son Joseph and says, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave” (NIV). The word “grave” is the Hebrew sheol, which probably here doesn’t mean fiery pit of torture considering that Jacob sees himself as destined for it. Or the comforting verse from Psalm 139: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” — “depths” here is sheol. I don’t know about you but “hell” is not exactly the place I imagined making my bed or finding God with me.

In the Greek of the New Testament, there are three different words to consider: gehenna, tartaurus, and hades.

Hades is the Greek realm of the underworld where, in Greek mythology, all people go when they die. This word occurs ten times in various genres of the New Testament, most of which are in metaphors and parables, and only one of which indicates it as a place of torment (Luke 16).

Sheol. Gehenna. Tartaurus. Hades. Similar but different; overlapping, but not identical.

But in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible translated them all the same: hell.

From the article, we can see there are really three hells:

1. In the grave.
2. Imprisonment for fallen angels.
3. Weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

The article does not refer to three hells.
Here is what the author said...

"Sheol. Gehenna. Tartaurus. Hades. Similar but different; overlapping, but not identical.​

​

But in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible translated them all the same: hell.​

​

In the English speaking world, then, “hell” permeated everything: Old and New Testaments, every book, every genre. Theologies harmonized all the references, taking every quality of each term and piling them on top of each other. It became what it was to me as a teenager: an unquestionable biblical principle.​

​

How would Christianity look different if we had simply used different words for different concepts, like the original languages did?"​

The KJV, then, is misleading, using a term that is irrelevant to scripture, and nowhere found in the original writings, and using that term for words that have different meanings.

She concluded...

The Bible isn’t clear on it, the early Church didn’t see it as essential, and I’m in the company of a history full of Christians who didn’t believe in hell.

What did Jesus say about death?

Jesus made clear statements throughout His ministry about what does and doesn’t happen after a person dies.

In John 11, Jesus resurrected His friend Lazarus (the brother of Mary and Martha, not the character in the parable). Before doing so, He told His disciples: “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (verse 11). When the disciples were confused about what He meant, Jesus clarified that He meant Lazarus was dead (verses 13-14).

Jesus likened death to sleep—a state of unconsciousness. Jesus’ words harmonize with other scriptures that show the dead have no conscious thoughts (Ecclesiastes 9:5). ...

If the dead have no conscious thoughts, then what is hell #3?

This is a good scripture, and an important point.
I would rather ask, If the dead have no conscious thoughts, then where are the dead, and what happens to them?
Still, we want to know what is hell, so your question is okay.

Hell #3 is directly caused by a harvest. A harvest is nuclear war (Isaiah 17 and 18). A fatal dose of radiation causes weeping (screaming) and gnashing of the teeth due to the extreme pain. This suffering will last for days before going to hell #1.

Although I don't see how you arrived at a nuclear war and radiation, other than an idea which surfaces in the minds of many, I think what you are saying here, is that people experiencing pain, is a figurative hell, and when they die, they go to their grave, which you refer to as a physical hell.

Notice that there is no hell #3 in the old testament. It only arises from the return of Jesus.

Okay, so, do you think Jesus' return will be a nuclear war, or that Jesus return will trigger a nuclear war?
Although this isn't important, since these are your own thoughts and ideas, and not actually written in scripture, I'm just curious.

What I conclude from what you said here, is that hell is 1) figurative, to represent pain and suffering to an extreme; 2) imprisonment for the angels; 3) the grave of mankind.
Did I understand correctly?

Thank you for your description, explanation, and use of scripture.
You did very well, in listening, and responding to what was said by the OP.

What I would ask, so that we can be on common ground, and move along smoothly, is, Can we agree with what Shelby Bennett Hanson, said?

1. In the Greek of the New Testament, there are three different words to consider: gehenna, tartaurus, and hades.
2. Sheol. Gehenna. Tartaurus. Hades. Similar but different; overlapping, but not identical.
3. But in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible translated them all the same: hell.

Therefore, the word Hell is not used consistent with the Hebrew and Greek words, and therefore would not be clear on what hell is.
For example, at Revelation 20:14 we read...
King James Bible
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

New King James Version
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

If here, the Greek word Hades means grave, then it simply says that the grave is cast into the lake of fire, which most agree, is the same as Gehenna, that Jesus referred to. Which means it is gone forever.
If you disagree, please let me know.

On the other hand, if the Greek word is rendered hell - a deep pit of eternal flames where the dead souls go, and are tormented by the Devil...

Then hell - a deep pit of eternal flames - is cast into the lake of fire.
What is more, is that people do not burn in this hell eternally, because "the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." Revelation 20:13

Actually, they are not even living souls, but dead.
It does show that Hades, rendered grave in English, helps us to see that dead persons are resurrected from the sea, death, and the grave, and they were judged every man according to their works.

Those "whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire - Gehenna - eternal destruction."
Therefore, as Shelby Bennett Hanson said, “'Hell' Isn’t in the Bible". It does not exist.
If it does, to persons, they cannot explain it and be consistent, either with what they say, or scripture.

For example, you gave three different explanations for one word.
So, today it is common for people to say, "Life is Hell"; "Hell on earth"; "Hell is separation from God"; "You'll burn in Hell" etc.
Hell means practically anything... anything bad, that is.

Has anyone ever told you, "Go to hell"? They are telling you "Get lost".
What do you say to all of this?

 

[CoreyD]

Thank you for your explanation, description, and scripture.
Good of you to listen to and respond to the OP.

God is omnipresent (everywhere). So, God will be in hell otherwiise He would not be omnipresent. God is just not affected by it, since He is Spirit.

There are multiple verses that explains this but one such one is:

God's will be present but He will not hear the cries of the unbelievers:
Deuteronomy 31:17 Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’

Hell is also

Firey:
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Matthew 5:22 uses the Greek word geenna.
Strong's Concordance
geenna: Gehenna, a valley W. and South of Jer., also a symbolic name for the final place of punishment of the ungodly

At Matthew 10:28, Jesus uses the same Grrek word, when he said...
Berean Literal Bible
And you should not be afraid of those killing the body but not being able to kill the soul. Indeed rather you should fear the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

King James Bible
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

At Revelation 20:14. the Greek word Hades, is rendered hell, in the KJV.
Berean Literal Bible
And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

King James Bible
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Do you believe Hades and Gehenna are the same thing?

Never ending fire:
Mark 9:43
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

Mark 9:43 also uses the Greek word Gehenna.
Do you believe Gehenna and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14, 15( are the same thing?

Darkness:
2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

2 Peter 2:4 uses the word Tartarus.
Do you believe Tartarus is the same as Hades, and or Gehenna, and that all these mean hell?

Torment:
Luke 16:23
In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

I see Hades used here.
KJV use hell.
King James Bible
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

So, I believe you are using both words in the same way.
At Revelation 20:13, we read...
New King James Version
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Here, the Bible says the sea gave up the dead, and death and hades, gave up the dead.
Is it your belief that the dead are being tormented, in Hades, but not the sea, and death?
How do the dead come out of hades?

 

[HarleyER]

Thanks for the article.
I extracted some excerpts.

Spoiler: Excerpts

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word sheol is used frequently and was often translated “hell” in the King James Version of the Bible — arguably the most influential English translation of all time. But sheol doesn’t have a very specific connotation in its Hebrew context. The first use is in Genesis 37:35, as the Israelite patriarch Jacob grieves the loss of his son Joseph and says, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave” (NIV). The word “grave” is the Hebrew sheol, which probably here doesn’t mean fiery pit of torture considering that Jacob sees himself as destined for it. Or the comforting verse from Psalm 139: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” — “depths” here is sheol. I don’t know about you but “hell” is not exactly the place I imagined making my bed or finding God with me.

In the Greek of the New Testament, there are three different words to consider: gehenna, tartaurus, and hades.

Hades is the Greek realm of the underworld where, in Greek mythology, all people go when they die. This word occurs ten times in various genres of the New Testament, most of which are in metaphors and parables, and only one of which indicates it as a place of torment (Luke 16).

Sheol. Gehenna. Tartaurus. Hades. Similar but different; overlapping, but not identical.

But in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible translated them all the same: hell.

The article does not refer to three hells.
Here is what the author said...

"Sheol. Gehenna. Tartaurus. Hades. Similar but different; overlapping, but not identical.​

​

But in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible translated them all the same: hell.​

​

In the English speaking world, then, “hell” permeated everything: Old and New Testaments, every book, every genre. Theologies harmonized all the references, taking every quality of each term and piling them on top of each other. It became what it was to me as a teenager: an unquestionable biblical principle.​

​

How would Christianity look different if we had simply used different words for different concepts, like the original languages did?"​

The KJV, then, is misleading, using a term that is irrelevant to scripture, and nowhere found in the original writings, and using that term for words that have different meanings.

She concluded...



This is a good scripture, and an important point.
I would rather ask, If the dead have no conscious thoughts, then where are the dead, and what happens to them?
Still, we want to know what is hell, so your question is okay.


Although I don't see how you arrived at a nuclear war and radiation, other than an idea which surfaces in the minds of many, I think what you are saying here, is that people experiencing pain, is a figurative hell, and when they die, they go to their grave, which you refer to as a physical hell.


Okay, so, do you think Jesus' return will be a nuclear war, or that Jesus return will trigger a nuclear war?
Although this isn't important, since these are your own thoughts and ideas, and not actually written in scripture, I'm just curious.

What I conclude from what you said here, is that hell is 1) figurative, to represent pain and suffering to an extreme; 2) imprisonment for the angels; 3) the grave of mankind.
Did I understand correctly?

Thank you for your description, explanation, and use of scripture.
You did very well, in listening, and responding to what was said by the OP.

What I would ask, so that we can be on common ground, and move along smoothly, is, Can we agree with what Shelby Bennett Hanson, said?

1. In the Greek of the New Testament, there are three different words to consider: gehenna, tartaurus, and hades.
2. Sheol. Gehenna. Tartaurus. Hades. Similar but different; overlapping, but not identical.
3. But in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible translated them all the same: hell.

Therefore, the word Hell is not used consistent with the Hebrew and Greek words, and therefore would not be clear on what hell is.
For example, at Revelation 20:14 we read...
King James Bible
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

New King James Version
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

If here, the Greek word Hades means grave, then it simply says that the grave is cast into the lake of fire, which most agree, is the same as Gehenna, that Jesus referred to. Which means it is gone forever.
If you disagree, please let me know.

On the other hand, if the Greek word is rendered hell - a deep pit of eternal flames where the dead souls go, and are tormented by the Devil...

Can we agree with what Shelby Bennett Hanson, said?

Shelby Hanson is a universalist who doesn't believe the Bible (writing articles such as "How I Follow Jesus out of Christianity". So, no, I would not agree with Shelby Hanson.

What is left out is the complete story of Revelation:

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.​

Death and Hades are not only thrown into the lake of fire, but so is anyone who is not found in the book of life.

From GotQuestions:

Rejection of the existence of hell can also be blamed on inaccurate assumptions about what hell is. Hell is frequently imagined as a burning wasteland, a dungeon full of cauldrons and pitchforks, or an underground city filled with ghosts and goblins. Popular depictions of hell often involve a flaming torture chamber or a spiritual jail where evil things reside—and where good things travel to battle evil. This version of hell does not exist. There is a real place called hell, but it is not the Dante’s Inferno image most people think of. Certain details about hell are given in the Bible, but those details do not match the popular myths.​

The Bible actually gives very few particulars about hell. We know that it was originally intended for demonic spiritual beings, not people (Matthew 25:41). The experience of being in hell is compared to burning (Mark 9:43; 9:48; Matthew 18:9; Luke 16:24). At the same time, hell is compared to darkness (Matthew 22:13) and associated with intense grief (Matthew 8:12) and horror (Mark 9:44).​

In short, the Bible tells us only what being in hell is “like”; it does not explicitly say what hell is or how exactly it functions. What the Bible does make clear is that hell is real, eternal, and to be avoided at all costs (Matthew 5:29–30).​

Does Hell Exist (Does hell exist? | GotQuestions.org)

Mark 9:42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him if a heavy millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life without a foot, than, having your two feet, to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye is causing you to sin, throw it away; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished.

 

[eleos1954]

Please describe and explain what hell is, using scriptures.
Thank you?

Edit:
All posts not having an explanation, description, and scripture, will be ignored... starting with @Clare73.
Thank you.

hell is the grave ... there is no burning place. The teaching of a "burning hell" stems from the teaching of a "immortal soul" ... there is nothing immortal about us (we are sinners - subject to death). We will become immortal when Jesus returns and we are resurrected. Those in the first resurrection will be resurrected unto lift with the Lord.

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. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6, ESV).

“and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit (breath of life) returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7, ESV).

A soul is a living creature (Genesis 2:7 . A soul is the combination of a body plus the breath of life. The soul cannot exist without the body or the breath.

“…the body apart from the spirit is dead” (James 2:26, ESV).

“as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3, ESV).

The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing. There is no need to worry about a loved one who has passed away. They are resting peacefully in the grave. They are not in pain. They are not somewhere else being tormented. They are simply waiting in the grave until Jesus comes back.

 

[CoreyD]

hell is the grave ... there is no burning place. The teaching of a "burning hell" stems from the teaching of a "immortal soul" ... there is nothing immortal about us (we are sinners - subject to death). We will become immortal when Jesus returns and we are resurrected. Those in the first resurrection will be resurrected unto lift with the Lord.

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. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6, ESV).

“and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit (breath of life) returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7, ESV).

A soul is a living creature (Genesis 2:7 . A soul is the combination of a body plus the breath of life. The soul cannot exist without the body or the breath.

“…the body apart from the spirit is dead” (James 2:26, ESV).

“as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3, ESV).

The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing. There is no need to worry about a loved one who has passed away. They are resting peacefully in the grave. They are not in pain. They are not somewhere else being tormented. They are simply waiting in the grave until Jesus comes back.

Thank you.
I agree with what you said on those scriptures you quoted.
When you say hell is the grave, I assume you are referring to hell that is used for the Hebrew Sheol, and Greek Hades, and not the Greek Gehenna, and Greek Tartarus?

 

[ozso]

Please describe and explain what hell is, using scriptures.
Thank you?

Edit:
All posts not having an explanation, description, and scripture, will be ignored... starting with @Clare73.
Thank you.

This is a very comprehensive lecture on the subject:

 

[CoreyD]

This is a very comprehensive lecture on the subject:

The video is one hour and thirty four minutes.
I don't think you want me to sit and listen to a video that is one hour and thirty four minutes, to get an answer to the question what is hell?
It would be better, if you summarize the answer, with an explanation, and description, and the scriptures used.
Thanks.

 

[ozso]

The video is one hour and thirty four minutes.
I don't think you want me to sit and listen to a video that is one hour and thirty four minutes, to get an answer to the question what is hell?

It would be better, if you summarize the answer, with an explanation, and description, and the scriptures used.
Thanks.

Sorry, I thought you wanted a thorough understanding of the subject.

 

[ozso]

Most everything about "hell" in the OT is about the grave. The OT doesn't really touch upon the afterlife. There are only two verses in the OT I know of that are attributed to the afterlife outside of heaven, which are Daniel 12:2 and Isaiah 66:24. Isaiah 66:24 has the most bearing because Jesus quotes it in Mark 9:44-48.

The old saying is "Jesus talked more about hell more than heaven". But there are those who interpret some of those things Jesus said as prophetic judgement upon Israel similar to those given by the OT prophets, especially in relation to the Babylonian captivity. It could be that Jesus' parables associated with hell could have to do with the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Which was a fiery destruction involving great suffering and being cast out into the darkness so to speak.


But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:12


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

Matthew 13:42 has been compared to Ezekiel 22:20: As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.

One of the ultimate passages about what hell is like is Luke 16:19-31. But this also has been viewed by some as yet another prophetic judgment of Israel regarding their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah and the impending destruction of Israel that took place in 70 AD. With the rich man representing Israel, especially the priesthood, and Lazarus representing the Gentiles receiving what Israel had.

An interesting aspect to this is "Lazarus" is the Greek version of Eleazar or perhaps Eliezer if those two names are interchangeable. Because then perhaps there's a relationship between Abraham and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, in that Eliezer of Damascus, thought by some to be a Gentile, was originally Abraham's heir.

But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2

 

[HarleyER]

hell is the grave ... there is no burning place. The teaching of a "burning hell" stems from the teaching of a "immortal soul" ... there is nothing immortal about us (we are sinners - subject to death). We will become immortal when Jesus returns and we are resurrected. Those in the first resurrection will be resurrected unto lift with the Lord.

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. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6, ESV).

“and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit (breath of life) returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7, ESV).

A soul is a living creature (Genesis 2:7 . A soul is the combination of a body plus the breath of life. The soul cannot exist without the body or the breath.

“…the body apart from the spirit is dead” (James 2:26, ESV).

“as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3, ESV).

The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing. There is no need to worry about a loved one who has passed away. They are resting peacefully in the grave. They are not in pain. They are not somewhere else being tormented. They are simply waiting in the grave until Jesus comes back.

The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing.

This is nonsense and the verses quoted is completely out of context. There will be judgment and there is a hell. You can't be judged if you do not have an immortal soul.

Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Timothy 5:24
The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

2 Peter 3:7
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Matthew 11:22
Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 5:29
and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.



Once you die, you face judgment.

 

[ozso]

The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing.

This is nonsense and the verses quoted is completely out of context. There will be judgment and there is a hell. You can't be judged if you do not have an immortal soul.

Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Timothy 5:24
The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

2 Peter 3:7
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Matthew 11:22
Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 5:29
and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.



Once you die, you face judgment.

Why does a soul have to be immortal to receive judgement? And if all souls are immortal, why are there so many verses about believers in Christ being given immortality?

John 3:15-16
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

[CoreyD]

Sorry, I thought you wanted a thorough understanding of the subject.

Someone described, and explained the steps of the scientific method in three minutes.
You wouldn't need someone to take an hour and thirty four minutes to describe, and explain the scientific method to you, would you?

Most everything about "hell" in the OT is about the grave. The OT doesn't really touch upon the afterlife. There are only two verses in the OT I know of that are attributed to the afterlife outside of heaven, which are Daniel 12:2 and Isaiah 66:24. Isaiah 66:24 has the most bearing because Jesus quotes it in Mark 9:44-48.

Thanks for your description, and explanation of hell, using the Hebrew scriptures... in less than a minute.
So basically, hell is the grave of mankind.

Could you take at least five minutes of your time to reference at least 3 scriptures that show hell refers to the grave? Thank you.
That would seal your explanation. Thank you.

The old saying is "Jesus talked more about hell more than heaven". But there are those who interpret some of those things Jesus said as prophetic judgement upon Israel similar to those given by the OT prophets, especially in relation to the Babylonian captivity. It could be that Jesus' parables associated with hell could have to do with the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Which was a fiery destruction involving great suffering and being cast out into the darkness so to speak.


But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:12


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

Matthew 13:42 has been compared to Ezekiel 22:20: As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.

One of the ultimate passages about what hell is like is Luke 16:19-31. But this also has been viewed by some as yet another prophetic judgment of Israel regarding their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah and the impending destruction of Israel that took place in 70 AD. With the rich man representing Israel, especially the priesthood, and Lazarus representing the Gentiles receiving what Israel had.

An interesting aspect to this is "Lazarus" is the Greek version of Eleazar or perhaps Eliezer if those two names are interchangeable. Because then perhaps there's a relationship between Abraham and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, in that Eliezer of Damascus, thought by some to be a Gentile, was originally Abraham's heir.

But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2

Yes, those are some interesting interpretations.
What about the Christian Greek scriptures... Do you explain these as describing hell as the grave, also?

 

[CoreyD]

The Bible says death is like a sleep and the dead know nothing.

This is nonsense and the verses quoted is completely out of context. There will be judgment and there is a hell. You can't be judged if you do not have an immortal soul.

Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Timothy 5:24
The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

2 Peter 3:7
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Matthew 11:22
Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 5:29
and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Once you die, you face judgment.

Did you mean to say, once you are resurrected, you are judged, because those verses you quoted refer to the resurrected.

• and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
• The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment
• it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment
• we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ [See Revelation 20:11-15]
• after this comes judgment

Otherwise, they refer to the living.

• The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment
• For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God
• But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men
• “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment

You never did answer my questions though.
Would you be willing to, please?

• Do you believe Hades and Gehenna are the same thing?
• Do you believe Gehenna and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14, 15) are the same thing?
• Do you believe Tartarus is the same as Hades, and or Gehenna, and that all these mean hell?
• Is it your belief that the dead are being tormented, in Hades, but not the sea, and death?
• How do the dead come out of Hades?

I would really appreciate if you could answer those questions for me. Thanks.

 

[HarleyER]

Why does a soul have to be immortal to receive judgement? And if all souls are immortal, why are there so many verses about believers in Christ being given immortality?

John 3:15-16
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Why does a soul have to be immortal to receive judgment? Simply because it states that judgment doesn't come until AFTER you die. There is no point in receiving judgment if there is nothing to judge.

You're assuming from John 3 that "eternal life" equates to immortality only for believers AND everyone else just disappears. That is not the case. Everyone will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.