What does the Bible say about hell?

[macuser]

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Handbook of Bible Application Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

HELL

What does the Bible say about hell?

BIBLE READING: Matthew 25:41-46
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41 , niv)

The Bible speaks about eternal punishment using different terms. Eternal punishment takes place in hell (the lake of fire, or Gehenna), the place of punishment after death for all those who refuse to repent. In the Bible, three words are used in connection with eternal punishment.
(1) Sheol or “the grave” is used in the Old Testament to mean the place of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth. (See Job 24:19; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 38:10 .)
(2) Hades is the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the word used in the New Testament for Sheol. (See Matthew 16:18; Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14 .)
(3) Gehenna, or hell, was named after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to the pagan gods (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3 ). This is the place of eternal fire (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5; James 3:6; Revelation 19:20 ) prepared for the devil, his angels, and all those who do not believe in God (25:46; Revelation 20:9-10 ). This is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and the Last Judgment.
When Jesus warns against unbelief, he is trying to save us from agonizing punishment.

BIBLE READING: Romans 1:18-32
KEY BIBLE VERSE: The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. (Romans 1:18 , niv)

The punishment of hell is just. In these verses, Paul answers a common objection: How could a loving God send anyone to hell, especially someone who has never heard about Christ? In fact, says Paul, God has revealed himself plainly in the creation to all people. And yet people reject even this basic knowledge of God. Also, everyone has an inner sense of what God requires, but they choose not to live up to it. Put another way, people’s moral standards are always better than their behavior. If people suppress God’s truth in order to live their own way, they have no excuse. They know the truth, and they will have to endure the consequences of ignoring it.

BIBLE READING: Revelation 20:1-15
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Death and Hell were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death—the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:14)

There are no second chances in hell. Death and Hell are thrown into the lake of fire. God’s judgment is finished. The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked—Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death, Hades, and all those whose names are not recorded in the book of life because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. John’s vision does not permit any gray areas in God’s judgment. If by faith we have not identified with Christ, confessing him as Lord, there will be no hope, no second chance, no other appeal.

[Kimberley]

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Gehenna was a valley outside Jerusalem where garbage, as well as the corpses of criminals(after they died) were disposed of. They burned the garbage and Jesus used this place symbolically to explain that a thing reduced to ash cannot be put together again. It described a death that there was no hope of a resurrection from. When you consider the perfect balance of God's qualities, love, justice, power and wisdom, the idea of a place of eternal torment for beings that Jehovah himself describes as 'dust'(Ps. 103:14) is an insult to his fairness. Adam was warned that disobedience would result in his one day returning to dust. Death=abcense of life force. Ecc. 9:2-6, 10; Ro. 6:23(all from the NWT) Hellfire as a everlasting punishment is a fabrication of man created by religious authority who would rule by fear/dread. This is not the personality of God. Those who have such a death, as if into a lake of fire, simply, and sadly, have no hope of a resurrection. Hellfire is a slander of God by Satan.

[Fat]

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Gehenna was a valley outside Jerusalem where garbage, as well as the corpses of criminals(after they died) were disposed of. They burned the garbage and Jesus used this place symbolically to explain that a thing reduced to ash cannot be put together again. It described a death that there was no hope of a resurrection from. When you consider the perfect balance of God's qualities, love, justice, power and wisdom, the idea of a place of eternal torment for beings that Jehovah himself describes as 'dust'(Ps. 103:14) is an insult to his fairness. Adam was warned that disobedience would result in his one day returning to dust. Death=abcense of life force. Ecc. 9:2-6, 10; Ro. 6:23(all from the NWT) Hellfire as a everlasting punishment is a fabrication of man created by religious authority who would rule by fear/dread. This is not the personality of God. Those who have such a death, as if into a lake of fire, simply, and sadly, have no hope of a resurrection. Hellfire is a slander of God by Satan.

The punishment is eternal Kimberley, I know that the JW's want to minimize God's wrath but you are not doing anyone a favor by leading them down this road. They will not just cease to exist and escape from God's promise of EVERLASTING fire.

Matt. 25:46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (NAS)

The word "eternal" in both places is "aionios" which means 1) without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be; 2) without beginning; 3) without end, never to cease, everlasting.  The word "punishment" is the word "kolasis" and it means "to punish, with the implication of resulting severe suffering--'to punish, punishment.'

Rev. 14:9-11
9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (NAS)

Isaiah 66:24 "Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind." (NAS)

Mark 9:48  where the maggot does not die and the fire is not put out. (NWT)

Numbers 16:30  But if Jehovah does something extraordinary with them and the ground opens and swallows them and everything that belongs to them and they go down alive into the Grave, you will certainly know that these men have treated Jehovah disrespectfully.” (NWT)

[Kimberley]

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What can be a worse punishment than total loss of life? No possibility of a resurrection, a relationship with our wonderful creator, total loss of life. "The wages sin pays is death." Ecc. Itself describes death. Its description is inspired of God himself. 2Tim. 3:16-17. Verse 16 says specifically that the Scriptures "sets matters straight." either the condition of the dead is true or not. Everlasting death is not the same as everlasting torture. Unending torture of man, who God himself expresses understanding of his flaws, is a slander of God's sense of justice. His balance. The idea of unending suffering is a symbolic term of the reality that there is no coming back for those who receive that punishment. God never acts unjustly. Man does.

[Fat]

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What can be a worse punishment than total loss of life? No possibility of a resurrection, a relationship with our wonderful creator, total loss of life. "The wages sin pays is death." Ecc. Itself describes death. Its description is inspired of God himself. 2Tim. 3:16-17. Verse 16 says specifically that the Scriptures "sets matters straight." either the condition of the dead is true or not. Everlasting death is not the same as everlasting torture. Unending torture of man, who God himself expresses understanding of his flaws, is a slander of God's sense of justice. His balance. The idea of unending suffering is a symbolic term of the reality that there is no coming back for those who receive that punishment. God never acts unjustly. Man does.

Amazing logic!

You claim that the Scriptures are the source of our truth then you contradict them saying they are only symbolic because they don't fit your narrative.

Your problem is you do not have a definition for death that holds to Scripture. If death was meant to mean annihilate then how could there ever be a second death, if you were annihilated at the first death???

 "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night"

Satan's first lie to Eve was about death. You must understand that you have something that animals don't have, you have a soul that will not die the kind of death your cat will.

[Kimberley]

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Jesus died didn't he? He had a 'first death and was resurrected. He says there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Even after Armageddon and the promised resurrections those that do what is right in God's eyes have everlasting life by continued obedience. There will be those who died, during Armageddon, directly by Jehovah's judgement. Not illness, old age or the hand of man. Those who die then by Jehovah decree do not have a resurrection. Those who receive a resurrection, those already dead now, who may not want what obedience under Gods rule will expect from them, are returned to the death state. This is a second death. No change of mind then. "hades and death are thrown into a lake of fire and swallowed completely." can a lake contain the graves of mankind? No, it is a symbolic description. Jesus is said, in a prayer I learned as a child, to have "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He decended into Hell, on the third day he rose again...".

[Fat]

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Jesus died didn't he? He had a 'first death and was resurrected. He says there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Ah-ha, so now we have more than one kind of death.

are returned to the death state.

And why would they be judged if they are already in "the death state" they will be returned to?

No, it is a symbolic description.

No it is not symbolic. You have given the authority for you to interpret the Scriptures to the Watchtower, I have not give my authority to them, the Pope, or Utah.