The burning Hell doctrine is nothing more than a Gospel of Fear, and is rooted in Platonic dualism, which in turn goes back to the lies of the serpent in Eden! A philosophical turning point probably came in with the use of the Greek language and some Grecian influence, just prior to the start of the Christian era..

Our word Hell is in the KJV Bible 53 times.  This is 31 times in the Old Testament, and 22 times in the New Testament.  It seems to mean something like "concealment".  In the OT it is a translation of the Hebrew word Sheol, which always seems to mean "the Grave".  And in the NT it is a translation of the Greek word Hades 10 times, and Gehenna 11 times.  It also represents Tartaroo once.  These Greek words are basically with the same meaning as the Hebrew Sheol, the Grave/pit.  The Greek Gehenna points to the little valley or gorge on the south side of Jerusalem called Ge-Hinnom. It was a place of worship and sacrifice to Moloch in very ancient times until hindered by King Josiah. It afterwards became a refuse dump for animal carcases to be burned. One could argue that Moloch (or Satan) would be the prince of this smoking dump and filthy area, perhaps the prototype for an imagined Hell.

There is little question that Hell in the Old Testament is the grave.  Numbers 16:30 and Genesis 37:35 indicates that both the good and wicked go into Hell.  Some translations simply leave Sheol in the text untranslated.  All go to the grave! If you tell someone to go to Hell, you are basically telling them to go to the grave! We even see poor ole Job, in such misery, that he prays to go to Hell...the grave. (Job 14:13).  Job clearly wants to escape his predicament!  Sheol or Hell is not a place of torment but rest! There is nothing in the OT indicative of a burning eternal torment for people after death.  The same can be said for the New Testament.

Looking at the New Testament we find a similiar pattern.  In Matthew 10:28 Jesus warns others about those who can destroy both body and soul in Hell.  Notice how the destruction of the soul is with the body. The destruction is complete.  Theres no indication of a endless torment. In Acts 2:27/31, Simon Peter is giving a sermon about the resurrection of Jesus, saying that God-the Father would not leave the Holy one in Hades/Hell.  Jesus was raised from his death and came out of the tomb/grave/Hades/Hell! Obviously Jesus did not go into a burning hell, even temporarily.  As pointed out, in the Old Testament, Hell is the english word used to translate Sheol-the Grave, and in the New Testament, the Greek word Hades has the same meaning as Sheol-the Grave.  When analyzed it is logical that Hell is simply the Grave.

In my personal library I have a book titled, The NIV, The Making of a Contemporary Translation.  Here in chapter 5, page 60, we see the writer, sort of stumbling in his words because he is under peer pressure to accept an eternal burning Hell where the damned are suffering in torment yet he admits that the scriptures say otherwise.  He even wonders if the Old Testament teaches "soul sleep" when the New seems not too?  Obviously the two Testaments DO NOT contridict each other. So entrenched is false doctrines that some Christians can't accept truth when the Bible even says it.

Theres also the opinion of some that when you die you go immediately either to A burning Hell or to the presence of Jesus but does scripture support this?  No, it does not even though Paul mentioned "absent from the body and with the Lord."  First, it is clear that the sleep of death is indicated by several scriptures. A good example is Jesus raising Lazarus from the sleep of death.  Jesus said plainly that Lazarus had fallen asleep in death. Secondly, Paul plainly indicates that "we shall not all sleep (in death) but shall all be changed.."  This is echoed by Daniel 12:2.  The good and bad sleep in the dust til the end and theres no punishment (2nd death) until after the Judgment.

Another interesting thing about this is that "HELL" is actually thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14).  In other words, hell is destroyed.  The lake of fire represents a condition of final or eternal destruction; and not eternal torment.  Compare Revelation 20:10 with Isaiah 34:9-10.  Here we see that the smoke of destruction, of Edom, goes up forever...and no one shall pass through it forever and ever.  Edom suffered destruction but no literal smoke is still going up.  The same sort of language is used in Revelation 20.

Would it not be better to accept Romans 6:23, which says, "For the Wages of Sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord". Theres only two destinies.

Pastor Zomok  

Tags: Scary Hell Death Life Jesus Christ Love

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