R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 1 The concept of a burning Hell where people are tortured eternally, is often
thought of as a Bible teaching. It isn't. Rather, the whole concept of a Hel
l as people see it today, where the bad are sent to an underground world tha
t is ruled by an evil God, comes from a misunderstanding of the pagan Greek
Mythology of Hades, the River Styx, and the God Pluto. For if you read Greek
mythology, you'll see that Hades was never a place of torture, but simply t
he place where the dead go to be judged. And thereafter in Greek Mythology,
they either received blessings or damnation. So, Hades among Greek-speaking
people was never a synonym for a burning Hell.
The Ancient Egyptians were probably the first to teach belief in an undergro
und world, which people had to pass through after death on their way to a be
tter life. And this teaching still survives in Christendom today in the doct
rine of Purgatory, where the dead must go to be purged of their sins before
being allowed entry into heaven. However, neither the word Purgatory nor its
concept can be found in the Bible, so its roots probably come from ancient
pagan sources.
Yet, Jesus (and his Apostles) did use the Greek word Hades; he did tell the
story of someone who was there and being tortured; and there are numerous pl
aces in the Bible where we read of a 'lake of fire,' and of people being bur
ned there eternally. So, why have we concluded that there is no such thing a
s a burning Hell? For an answer, let's look at the history and uses of the w
ord Hell in the Bible.
Sheol
The Hebrew word that is often translated as Hell is Sheol. And in the King J
ames Bible, for instance, Sheol is translated variously as Hell, the grave,
and the pit, but none of those words accurately translate Sheol, for it too
is simply the place where the dead go to await judgment.
The reason why these three different and conflicting terms were used is beca
use the translators believed in a burning Hell, but too many of the Bible re
ferences simply disprove the common concept of Hell Fire. So, in the many in
stances where the word obviously couldn't mean a place of torture, Sheol is
usually translated as grave, which isn't truly accurate, but it works. For e
xample, at Job 14:13 the faithful man Job prayed, 'O how I wish that You wou
ld put me in [my] grave (Heb. Sheol) until Your rage has passed, and that Yo
u would set a time to remember me.'
And at Ecclesiastes 9:3-6 we read, 'Indeed; the sons of men's hearts are fil
led up with evil, and madness throughout all their livesand then they go t
o the grave (heb. sheol). But, for those who are living there is hope, since
a dog that is living is greater, than a lion that has died. For, the living
know that they'll die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have a
reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their loves and dislikes are b
oth gone, and their zeal has already perished. Then through the age they'll
have no involvement, in anything that's done under the sun.'
Then in verse 10 we read, 'Do whatever you can find to do with your hands, b
ecause in the grave (heb. Sheol) where you're going, there's no work, no lea
rning, no knowledge, or wisdom.'
Because of this, most Bible scholars admit that the ancient Hebrews (and the
'Old Testamentin general) had no concept of a burning Hell. So, did that
idea come along with Jesus and the Greek 'New Testament?'
Sheol Means Hades
It is interesting that the Greek Septuagint, the first translation of the He
brew Bible (into Greek), which predated Jesus' earthly life by almost two-hu
ndred years, translated the Hebrew word Sheol as Hades in each instance wher
e it was found. So we must conclude that both words (Sheol and Hades) carrie
d the same meaning to the translators. And remember that the Bible that many
Jews used in Jesus' time was the Greek Septuagint.
So when Jesus came along, the typical Jewish use of the word Hades didn't me
an an underworld place of torture, it was a synonym for Sheol, and it still
just meant The Place of the Dead.
Did Jesus Teach that Hades was Hell Fire?
However, Jesus used the word Hades in his story of 'the Rich Man and Lazarus
,' which many claim was a description of a burning Hellbut was it? Not if
you look at what Jesus was describing when he told the story. Notice the cir
cumstances at Luke 16:14-16: 'Now, the Pharisees (who loved silver) were lis
tening to these things and were looking at him with contempt. So he said to
them, You are the ones who claim to be righteous in front of men, but God kn
ows your hearts. Things that are considered important by men are disgusting
in God's eyes.'
Then he went on to make the following two points:
First, (at Luke 16:16-18) he condemned the Pharisees by saying that 'anyone
who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery' so much f
or righteousness, because divorce was common among them.
Then (at Luke 16:19-31) Jesus tells the story of a 'rich man' (like the Phar
isees) and a 'beggar' (like the common people) who both 'died,' and of the o
utcome for each of them.
Were the Pharisees rich? Not necessarily (although many were), but because t
hey were educated, they were considered 'spiritually rich' by the common peo
ple. However with the death of Jesus, this condition would be changed. They
would no longer be the spiritual leaders of God's people. Remember the words
, 'Things that are considered important by men are disgusting in God's eyes.
'
Jesus also spoke of a 'poor man' class, called Lazarus (a common Jewish name
at the time). This man also 'died.' Notice that Lazarus hadn't really done
anything righteous; his only virtue was that he was extremely poor. However,
he was 'carried off into the favor of Abraham.'
Was that heaven? It couldn't have been, because Jesus said (at John 3:13), '
Nobody has gone to heaven other than he who came from heaven, the Son of Man
.' So Abraham hadn't been resurrected yet.
Then, what was Jesus talking about? Well, this lowly, begging condition is s
imilar to what the common people of Israel (such as Jesus' disciples) were i
n spiritually, prior to that time. And Jesus was going to change all that an
d offer common people the opportunity to be favored in the eyes of their com
mon faithful ancestor Abraham, when he is resurrected.
So the second point that Jesus was making (and which the Pharisees doubtless
ly, at least partially understood) is that; because they had failed to learn
from the Law and the Prophets, their high position was being taken away and
given to common people.As you can see, this isn't a tale that describes the
torture of Hell Fire; it was an allegory or parable that Jesus told as a wa
rning to the Pharisees, that, because of their pride, they were soon to lose
their elevated position as religious leaders (those in the favored position
of Abraham).
GeHenna
Another word that Jesus used to describe the outcome for the wicked was GeHe
nna (literally: Valley of Hinnom. Also: Graveyard of the descendants of a ma
n named Hinnom). It is usually translated as Hell Fire, as opposed to Hades,
which is usually translated as Hell in other Bibles. GeHenna is the valley
that bordered the SSW wall of Jerusalem, which served as the city's garbage
dump during the time of Jesus. Prior to the first destruction of Jerusalem (
c 600-B.C.E.) it had been a graveyard, and then it was further profaned afte
r it was used as a place for sacrificing children to pagan gods.
Of course, when Jesus used this word (eleven times in the Bible altogether),
he used it symbolically. As a symbol of what? One reference says, 'It is a
place of torment both for the body and the soul.' But is that a natural conc
lusion? Being put 'in the garbage dump' would convey a totally different mea
ning to readers, if they didn't already believe in a Hell Fire.
But, didn't Jesus say (at Mark 9:47, 48), 'If your eye traps you, throw it a
way. For, it's better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, than
to have both eyes and to be thrown into the garbage dump (GeHenna) where th
ere are always maggots and the fire is never put out.'
Oh yes, other Bibles render this verse, 'than to be cast into Hell Fire wher
e the worms dieth not and the fire is not quenched.' However, remember that
Jesus was talking about a garbage dump when he said (in Greek), 'hopou ho sk
olex auton ou teleuta kai to pyr ou sbennutai,' or, 'where the maggot of/the
m not finished and the fire not extinguished.' Obviously, most ancient garba
ge dumps were kept burning and there were always maggots living there. So, d
oes this natural description of a garbage dump really prove eternal torment?
We feel that the answer is clear.
Also notice that these words of Jesus were not original; he was quoting from
Isaiah 66:24, and there the true meaning can be clearly understood. It says
, 'Then they'll go out and see the carcasses of men, those who rebelled agai
nst Me. Their worms won't come to an end, and their fire will not be extingu
ished. And they'll be a sight for all flesh [to see].'
So, according to God Himself, these destroyed people won't be burning in an
unseen place of torture, but after Armageddon their bodies will lie exposed
on the ground for all to see, and that is where 'their worms won't come to a
n end, and their fire will not be extinguished.'
But, what about Jesus' words at Matthew 10:28, where he said, 'Don't be afra
id of those who kill the body but can't kill the person (gr. psyche). Rather
, be afraid of Him who can destroy both the person and the body in the garba
ge dump.'
Well, notice how Luke phrased these same words of Jesus at Luke 12:5, 'Let m
e show you who it is that you should be afraid of: Fear him, who after killi
ng also has the authority to throw you into the garbage dump. Fear Him!'
So Jesus wasn't really offering immortality to the wicked, which would be re
quired if they lived forever, for the Bible shows that it was only offered t
o the righteous (see 1 Corinthians 15:53, 54). And what Jesus was clearly te
lling his followers here is that they shouldn't fear those who can kill the
body, but that they should fear God who can kill them and choose not to resu
rrect them (or throw them into the garbage).
Is there any Bible precedent for calling God's final judgment the garbage du
mp? Yes, for notice what King David wrote and sang about when mentioning suc
h undeserving unrighteous ones at Psalm 21:9-12, 'For You will throw them in
to an oven of fire, in Your Day [O God, Jehovah]. In Your rage You'll distur
b them and destroy them in fire. You'll destroy their fruit from the earth,
and their seed from the sons of men. For, their purpose toward You was to do
bad things, and they argued over plans that were never fulfilled. So, throw
them away with Your garbage (Gr. periloipois sou leavings your), and prep
are their faces for this.'
So, notice that as garbage or residue they are to be burned up in a fire.
The Lake of Fire
Ah, but those who wish to believe in a burning Hell for everyone who disagre
es with them, point to 'the Lake of Fire.' Notice what we read about this at
Revelation 20:10, 'Then the Opposer who misled them will be thrown into the
lake of fire and sulfur where the wild animal and the false prophet already
are, and they will be tortured day and night for ages of ages.'
Isn't this the concluding proof that the lake of fire is Hell and that etern
al torture happens there?
No, for notice what Revelation 20:14 says, 'Finally, death [Gr. thanatos] an
d the grave [Gr. Hades] were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire
symbolizes the second death.'
So what Bible translators have called Hell (Hades) will be thrown into somet
hing else they call Hell, the lake of fire, which the Bible says is simply t
he second (or eternal) death. And did you notice that death would be thrown
there, as well as two political organizations (the wild animal and the false
prophet)? So the torture must be symbolic.
The Pit
Another Greek word that is found occasionally in the Bible is lakkon or pit.
This appears to mean the same as GeHenna or the lake of firethat a person
who is sent there will not be resurrected. We gather this from the words of
Psalm 28:1, where we read, 'I'll call out to You O Jehovah; my God I won't
remain silent, so You will never be silent with me, and make me like those w
ho enter the pit.'
Then notice how just a few verses away David said (verse 5), 'So, You will w
ipe them away, and never rebuild them again.'
Tartarus
2 Peter 2:4 speaks of 'messengers' who were put into Tartarus for bad acts t
hey committed during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:4 calls them 'sons of God,'
and it tells of their coming to earth and marrying 'the daughters of men' (
see the linked scripture and the linked notes).
Actually, the first mention of Tartarus in the Bible is found in the book of
Job in the Greek Septuagint (the Bible of Peter's day), and it may have bee
n this reference that Peter was quoting. There (at Job 41:32), where the ref
erence is obviously speaking of the Opposer, it says of him, that he lives a
s a captive in 'Tartarus.'
Peter's use of the word Tartarus there has long been a cause of concern to t
houghtful Bible students. In other Bibles, this Greek word has wrongfully be
en translated as Hell and Hell Fire. However, the term (from Greek Mythology
) refers specifically to the place where gods (not humans) were sent. And as
the result of past misunderstandings about the meaning of this word, many h
ave come to believe that the Slanderer and his demons are in Hell watching o
ver its flames and torturing human souls.
The question that has so concerned many Bible students is: Why did Peter use
this pagan term that comes from Greek Mythology to describe the condition o
f unfaithful messengers of God? The appearance here is that the Bible had it
s roots in Greek myths. However, the opposite is true.
Anyone who takes the time to carefully consider Greek Mythology will notice
close but sometimes-opposite parallels to Bible stories told in Genesis Chap
ters Two through Six. Stories such as Hercules and the Golden Apples, Medusa
, immoral Gods who came to earth, etc., seem to closely resemble the stories
of Adam and the forbidden fruit, the snake in the Paradise, and the sons of
God who came to earth and lived as humans. So it isn't surprising that they
also had a name for the place where these sons of God (the gods) were sent
after the Downpour. And since this correct idea was common at the time, Pete
r just used their word to convey what he was talking about to his readers.
Since these 'sons of God' who came to earth and assumed human bodies in Noah
's day couldn't be destroyed by the Downpour (flood), and they had forsaken
heaven, they were apparently put into a prison-like state here on the earth,
where they are no longer able to roam. This group is specifically referred
to as the demons in the Bible.
You will find several references to caged demons in the ancient Hebrew texts
, and and you will find a similar term at Revelation 18:2. In Greek they are
called the syrene, and this is often translated as sirens, which people thi
nk of as mythical women who lure ships. Yet, the actual references (from the
meaning of the word) are to spirits who are fixed in one place (Tartarus).
The Immortal Soul Problem
One of the reasons why there can be no Hell of eternal torture is because a
person would need an 'immortal soul' to be sent there. In other words, a por
tion of his or her personality would have to be incapable of dying. And alth
ough this doctrine is taught by almost all religions, it simply can't be fou
nd in the Bible. In fact, one of the things that differentiates the Bible fr
om most (if not all) pagan religions and their sacred writings (such as the
Koran), is that the Bible alone teaches that a dead person can be resurrecte
d (brought back to life)but only if God wills it. So nothing inside us is
incapable of dying (immortal).
Why, if you go to Genesis the Third Chapter, you'll find that it was the Opp
oser (Satan) who first taught that men wouldn't die, for we read at Genesis
3:5, 'Then the snake told the woman, You won't stop living and die. But, God
knows that on whatever day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you
will be gods who know good and evil.'
We find this first lie directly contradicted what God had just said at Genes
is 2:16, 17, 'You are free to eat from all the trees of paradise, but you mu
st not eat from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Bad. Because, on whate
ver day you eat from it, your life will end and you will die (Gr. thanato ap
othaneisthe, or, death from dying).'
Obviously souls can die, for notice what a soul is. Genesis 2:7 tells us thi
s: 'Then God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed the breath of
life against his face, and he became a living creature (Gr. psychen zosan, o
r, person/soul living).'Now, the words we translated as living creature here
were psyche in Greek and Nephesh in Hebrew, and both words are the same one
s that are translated as soul in other Bibles. So the Bible's own definition
of a soul, is that it's something made from the dust of the ground and has
the breath of lifethus, it is a whole living person or animal, not somethi
ng that lives inside. In fact, throughout the Bible animals are referred to
as souls also. So psyche really means (as we have often translated it) a liv
ing creature.
Actually, the best true Bible definition of the Greek word psyche is what th
e word implies in modern psychology, 'the inner person,' not, 'the immortal
person.' With this understanding, we can see how God could refer to 'My Soul
.' He wasn't speaking of the individual we all believe that we know, but of
the person He is on the inside.
As history shows, the pagan Egyptians believed that they had immortal souls,
but righteous Hebrews made no mention of such a belief anywhere in the Sacr
ed Scriptures of Israel (OT). It was only in the latter part of the millenni
um proceeding the time of Jesus that we first see this doctrine starting to
creep into Jewish teachings.
Then, did Jesus and his Apostles teach that we have an immortal soul? No, fo
r those two words (immortal soul) don't appear together anywhere in the Bibl
e. In fact, the words immortal and immortality (Gr. athanasia or undying) ca
n only be found in three places in the Bible, and let's see how the word is
used in each of these cases:
1 Timothy 6:15, 16 'He will show himself at his own set timethe blest an
d only ruler, the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule
as lords; the only one who has immortality and who lives in unapproachable
light; he who no man has seen or can see.
1 Corinthians 15:53, 54 'Then that which is decaying will put on cleanline
ss, and that which is dying will put on immortality. But, when that which is
dying puts on immortality, the words that were written are fulfilled, Death
is swallowed in victory.'
So in the first case, we can see that Jesus is immortal, and in the second c
ase we can see that immortality is offered as a reward to the righteousso,
it is not a possession of the wickedthus they have no immortal soul that
can be sent to burn in Hell.
The 'Spirit' Problem
We are always amazed at how quickly people will turn from the teaching of (b
ut not their belief in) an immortal soul after reading those scriptures, and
then say the thing that is immortal is the spirit (Hebrew ruach, Greek
pneuma, Latin spiritu, which can be translated as breath or wind, but mean
s an unseen force). However, the Bible doesn't ever speak of an immortal spi
rit either.
Scriptures that they like to quote to prove their point include the followin
g:
Luke 23:46, 'Father, I leave my breath ('spirit' Gr. pneuma) in Your hands.
And after saying that, he died.'
John 19:30, 'When he received the vinegar, Jesus said, It's finished! Then h
e hung his head and quit breathing ('gave beside the breath' Gr. paradoken t
o pneuma).
Ecclesiastes 12:7, 'And the dust returns to the earth where it was, and the
breath ('spirit' Gr. pneuma) returns to God who gave it.'
Now, in the first two cases above, the references are to Jesus and his final
words and actions as he was dying, and the third case talks about what happ
ens to normal men when they die. And the conclusion that many have reached i
s that Jesus himself returned to God that day (when his 'spirit' returned to
God). However, the Bible says that he wasn't resurrected until the third da
y, and he didn't return to God in heaven for many days after his resurrectio
n. So that can't be true. And in the third case (in Ecclesiastes), they conc
lude it's saying that we go to God (to the 'light') immediately when we die.
However, did you notice that the other option such people also believe in,
going to 'Hell,' isn't even mentioned there?
So, let's see exactly which 'spirit,' 'breath,' or 'wind' actually returns t
o God. What caused humans to live to begin with? Genesis 2:7 says, 'Then God
formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed the breath of life (Gr. to
pnoen zoes) against his face, and he became a living creature.'
Yes, the breath (Gr. pnoen, a conjugation of pneuma) of life came from God t
o begin with, so it returns to God when we die.
Now, we certainly don't claim the 'the breath of life' that God breathed was
just some form of artificial respiration to cause Adam to start living. Rat
her, it is obviously the power that God gave to all of Adam's cells, which b
rought each of them to life. So something more than breath or wind is implie
d here. However, literally millions of cells in our bodies die each day and
the power of their life must return to God who originally gave it to Adam. T
his gradual form of death can be proven scientifically, and some cells conti
nue to live long after clinical death (the death of the brain). So the 'brea
th' that returns to God is obviously His record of who and what we are, whic
h will allow Him to resurrect us (if He chooses) just as we were.
Our Conclusions
As you can see, it appears as though we are arguing against something that i
s proven by several words throughout the Bible. However, recognize that the
teaching of a Hell Fire has thousands of years of background in pagan ideas
throughout the religions of this world. And the fact that people have had to
distort the meanings of such Bible words as Hades (grave), GeHenna (garbage
dump), Lake of Fire (Second Death), and Tartarus (dark place of fallen gods
) to try to prove the existence of a place that a God of Love would never ap
prove of, shows a deep, dark, inward hatred. Nobody with any understanding o
f God's love would ever accuse Him of torture; or worse yet, eternal torture
. Such evil could come only from the minds of men, and from a desire to frig
hten others into following corrupt and empty religious teachings.
Yes, many people want to believe that there is a Hell. After all, shouldn't
there be such a thing for those like Adolph Hitler, who have committed such
terrible crimes against humanity? On the other hand, it is only because such
religious people as Adolph Hitler* believed that God is to blame for such b
adness, that they have felt justified in their own acts of horror against hu
manity.
It's an interesting fact that; among so-called inspired religious works, it
is easy to tell true Bible books from the rest by whether they teach a burni
ng Hell. Whereas the Bible only teaches it through mistranslations, such wor
ks as the Moslem Qur'an (and most others) teach it openly and without shame.
And just good sense should tell us which is truly inspired by God.
So then, what happens to those who are bad? Proverbs 12:7 tells us, 'When th
e irreverent are overturned they'll disappear (Gr. aphanizetai), but the hom
es of the righteous will remain.' | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 2 http://www.thercg.org/questions/p111.a.html#c
Revelation 14:11.
This verse states, and the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ev
er.Some erroneously believe this is referring to souls burning forever in
hell.
The time frame of what is described here is yet to come. The passage is refe
rring to 揃abylon(Rev. 14:8), 搕hat great city, because she made all natio
ns drink of卙er fornication.This is the final, religious/political,end-璽
ime revival of the Roman Empire also described in Daniel 2:42-43 as the 搕oe
s,and in Daniel 7:7, 24 as the tenth horn. Revelation 13 describes it as t
he seventh and last horn, and Revelation 17:12 describes it as the seventh h
ead having ten horns (which has not yet appeared).
Revelation 14:9-10 states, 揑f any man worship the beast [this final end-璽i
me revival] and his image, and receive his mark卙e shall be tormented with f
ire and brimstone卛n the presence of the Lamb.As long as the people who ar
e participating in this 揵eastsystem continue to rebel against God, they w
ill receive 搉o rest day nor night(vs. 11). This does not state that they
will be burning in hell for eternity. What it does say is that once their bo
dies are burned up, the smoke ascends forever. The fire extinguishes itself
but the gases from the smoke will continue to circulate in the 璦tmosphere.
The worshipers of the beast shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, as s
hown in Rev. 14:1, and the main perpetrators will be cast into a lake of fir
e burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20). This event follows the climatic Retur
n of Christ after Armageddon and falls within the time of the sixth of the l
ast seven plagues. This takes place during the year of God抯 wrath (Rev. 14:
10), which is not totally fulfilled until the seventh and final last plague
(Rev. 16:17, 19).
Neither that lake of fire mentioned in Rev. 19:20 nor the later fire of Rev.
20:13-15, which continues until it purges the surface of the earth, constit
ute an 揺ver-burning hell.Malachi plainly states, 揂nd you shall tread dow
n the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the da
y that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts(4:3). This verse shows that
the wicked will be destroyed梑lotted out梟ot 揵urning upforever.
If you would like to learn more of the true Bible teaching about hell, reque
st our booklet The Truth About Hell.
often
Hel
tha
Greek
Greek
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,
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undergro
【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: The concept of a burning Hell where people are tortured eternally, is often
: thought of as a Bible teaching. It isn't. Rather, the whole concept of a Hel
: l as people see it today, where the bad are sent to an underground world tha
: t is ruled by an evil God, comes from a misunderstanding of the pagan Greek
: Mythology of Hades, the River Styx, and the God Pluto. For if you read Greek
: mythology, you'll see that Hades was never a place of torture, but simply t
: he place where the dead go to be judged. And thereafter in Greek Mythology,
: they either received blessings or damnation. So, Hades among Greek-speaking
: people was never a synonym for a burning Hell.
: The Ancient Egyptians were probably the first to teach belief in an undergro
| R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 3 eternal punishment is only prepared for Satan and his evil followers
I suppose they are calvinists
repent! calvinists |
|
