Has Hell Disappeared?

It’s amazing isn’t it but “hell” seems to have disappeared. In the thirties and up to the fifties, We heard plenty about hell and what one should do to avoid going to that fiery place.

Most of the “must not do” related to immorality. Then in the sixties a gradual acceptance of immorality occurred amongst religions. The terminology of immorality began to change. Instead of “Sodomites” or Homosexuals” persons were spoken of as having a “Sexual preference,” “adultery” became “having an affair,” “fornication” became “having a relationship.” This seemed to coincide with the gradual disappearance of “hell”. We wonder why? Could it be that when churches began condoning the immoral behavior they had to start losing “hell” someplace, because it would upset their church members?

The world’s religions never ever denied the existence of hell but only stopped using the word. We wonder if it ever really existed? Let us take a leaf out of the Jehovah’s witness book and use the study method that they learned from Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27) and see what we can find out?

Checking hell out

This is easier for us today than it was in the old days because useful tools are now in existence. By using an analytical concordance we can look up every principal word in the English translation of the Bible and see what the original Hebrew or Greek word was. We can examine each occurrence if we wish, but by checking a section of the concordance labeled Hebrew or Greek, Lexicon, we can see how many different English words were used for the one Hebrew or Greek original word,

When we do this, We find that the English word “hell” is translated from the Hebrew word “sheol” and in Greek from a Greek word “hades.”

But now comes the surprise. Going to the Hebrew Lexicon we find that the Hebrew word “sheol” has been translated by three different words. “hell,” 31 times, “grave” 31 times, “pit” 3 times.

Now how can hellfire be a grave or a pit? It does not make sense. Is it possible that the translator put his own beliefs into the translation in 1611 when the King James Bible was produced and belief in hell was everywhere.?

How can we check what the original meanings of “sheol” and “hades” were? Remember all these scriptures should harmonize using Jesus’ method of study (Luke 24:27) Here are three different translations. The American Standard Versions uses the original word. Lets check the context to get the meaning of “sheol.”

We might recall the Job was a faithful servant of God. According to Job 2 & 3 Satan was bringing terrible sicknesses on Job. Job was suffering so much that he wanted to die. At this point Job was praying to God to let him die. Now ask yourself, when Job ask God to hide him in “sheol” was Job asking God to send him to a fiery hell or the grave from which God would later resurrect him?

Job 14:13

(American Standard Version)

(ASV) “Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!”

(Douay Rheims Bible 1899)

(DRB) “Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?”

( King James Version)

(KJV) “O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!”

Would one be correct in drawing the conclusion that the word hell should not have even appeared in the Bible? The more correct understanding of the Hebrew word “sheol” when compared with other uses of the word appears to be; “the common grave of mankind,” from which mankind can be resurrected.

Other words like the Greek “Hades” and  “Gehenna” can be similarly handled,

When the apostles used quotations from the Hebrew scriptures that used Sheol in the Hebrew. they supplied hades as an equivalent Greek word for Sheol and therefore it carries the same meaning as Sheol.  According to “Young’s analytical concordance” the English words “hell” and hellfire” are also English translations of the Greek word “Gehenna.”

The Greek word Gehenna, is shown to be a valley outside Jerusalem’s walls where the rubbish of the city was dumped and fires were kept burning to destroy the rubbish. As nothing was tormented in that fire the place could only signify destruction without a hope of a resurrection. That is why the meaning of Gehenna is “complete destruction” and not everlasting torment.

The lake of fire mentioned in Revelation similarly means “complete destruction.” Where has the teaching of hellfire torments come from? The answer is that this false teaching was borrowed from the non-Jewish and non-Christian religions that preceeded  Christianity.

What happens to those in hell?

Notice that Revelation 20 shows that death and  “Hades” gives up the dead meaning that persons are  resurrected. This would include the Hebrew “Sheol” which is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades.” Death and Hades are then hurled into the lake of fire. This is called the second death. What does this mean? The first death is one that humans have inherited form our forefather, the sinner Adam.

(Revelation 20:13-15) . . .And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha?des gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and Ha?des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.

When we die we have actually paid for any sins that we have done.

(Romans 6:23) . . .For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:7) 7 For he who has died has been acquitted from [his] sin.

The question is this. If  God feels that persons have not had a fair opportunity to know how to serve him, then he intends  giving them that opportunity. This does not necessarily include those that were not interested enough in spiritual matters, rejecting any attempt to warn them and so were wilfully ignorant  Dead  persons regarded as worthy of a resurrection can come out of  “Sheol” or “Hades”  (hell or grave) in some Bible translations. However those not qualifying are spoken of as going to Gehenna. This is what Revelation 20 tells us.

Notice that according to Revelation  20, death was hurled into the lake of fire and Revelation 21 shows that this means that death will be no more. This indicates that the meaning of the lake of fire, also called the second death means annihilation.

(Revelation 21:3-4) . . .And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

However perhaps you imagine that all the person’s sins that he has done in the past is brought up during this judgement. No way! Romans 6:7 says that they have already paid the price. So on what is this judgement based?

The Opening of the Scrolls

(Revelation 20:12) 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds.

The opening of new scrolls suggests that God is going to make new revelations of his will at this time. The resurrected ones will thus get an opportunity to show where they stand as to doing his will. They will thus be judged according to what is written in theses scrolls. They will have no excuse for disobedience to God. If they show their willing obedience then their names will be written in the scroll of life because they were  judged according to their deeds with respect to these scrolls.

Notice how an accurate study of the Bible the way Jesus used it and not according to how the religious clergy of Christendom interpret it clears God’s name of all reproach and vindicates his sovereignty.

What is Mankind’s Future?

God has purposed  a “new heavens and earth” not meaning a new planet and universe but a new system of things. The following scripture helps us to understand what the “new heavens and earth” mean. After analysing it carefully we will go to the Hebrew scriptures that explain more about the conditions existing there.  Don’t be put of by the length of the passage, it is very easy to understand.

(2 Peter 3:3-18) . . .For YOU know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires 4 and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.”

This is an accurate description of our time and predicts that people in general will deny the existence of the flood of Noah’s day in favor of the evolutionist teaching that no such catastrophe ever occurred. Evolution assumes that the “present is the key to the past” so that everything has been more or less the same for millions of years. This is necessary for the evolutionary teaching which explains that the reason why we do not see evolution in action is that it happens too slowly to be observed.

The Bible further shows that these people  are wilfully ignorant. Not because there is no evidence of the flood. There is plenty of evidence available and was accepted in the past by most scientists before the evolution theory was put forth.

5 For, according to their wish, this fact escapes their notice, that there were heavens from of old and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; 6 and by those [means] the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.

Notice how it was predicted that there would be persons who would deny the evidence of the flood. I have provided many examples of the proof that is available  in my other articles on evolution and the Bible on this site. This link will take you to a list of articles.

7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men.

Notice that the apostle indicated that the heavens and earth before the flood was destroyed by water, referring to these heavens and earth as  the world that was deluged with water and passed away.  Did the literal heavens and earth pass away? No! Therefore we may ask what the heavens and earth were? Verse 7 shows that the present heavens and earth will also end and are being reserved for the  destruction of “ungodly men.“ These ungodly men form the present “heavens and earth.” To understand this consider the following.

The Heavens guide us today

Mariners use the heavens to navigate the world and our way of counting time is based on the movement of the heavenly bodies. Even weather conditions are discerned  by the appearance of the heavens. So it is a fitting that what humans view as the guiding lights of the world today be represented by the expression  “heavens.” The present heavens refers to the governments, religions and business organizations that are looked to mankind for security and guidance. Other scriptures refer to this world  as a “system of things”

Therefore verse 7 quoted above refers to the present world with its “heavens” the ruling systems and the “earth,” humanity in general. In fact all those who are not serving God in an acceptable way.

Do not become impatient

8 However, let this one fact not be escaping YOUR notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.

Because God is apparently doing nothing is no reason for us to conclude that God is asleep or does not exist. We are instructed to remember that what appears a long time to humans is actually a very short time to God. He is not slow but patient. Yet in his due time he will act.

10 Yet Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a hissing noise, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be discovered. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought YOU to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, 12 awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which [the] heavens being on fire will be dissolved and [the] elements being intensely hot will melt!

We are urged not to be deceived by appearances. God is going to take action. Next the apostle points us to what is to replace the passing of the present “heavens and earth” with a new “heavens and earth”

The Answer to the “Lords Prayer”

A New Heavenly Government in the hands of Jesus Christ and the Earthly Subjects of this Kingdom comprise the new “heavens and earth”. These provide the answer to the “lords prayer. Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and bring God’s will on earth as it is done in heaven. God’s kingdom is the new heavens mentioned at Dan 7

(Daniel 7:13-14) . . .“I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man happened to be coming; and to the Ancient of Days he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. 14 And to him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin.

What is the new earth? The survivors of this wicked world, just as Noah and his family survived the destruction of that wicked world.

13 But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.

I will refer to the actual promise that God made in as recorded by the prophet Isaiah. According to the apostle Peter how should we react to this knowledge?

14 Hence, beloved ones, since YOU are awaiting these things, do YOUR utmost to be found finally by him spotless and unblemished and in peace. 15 Furthermore, consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given him also wrote YOU, 16 speaking about these things as he does also in all [his] letters. In them, however, are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unsteady are twisting, as [they do] also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 YOU, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on YOUR guard that YOU may not be led away with them by the error of the law-defying people and fall from YOUR own steadfastness. 18 No, but go on growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him [be] the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

Notice that although the scripture acknowledges that many would be twisting the scriptures it  also acknowledges that there would be a true religion that we need to turn to.

You can test this out for yourselves by not being foolish like some of the people in Noah’s day.

(Matthew 24:38-39) . . .For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. . .

The prophet Isaiah predicted this “New Heavens and Earth”

(Isaiah 65:17) . . .For here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.

From verse  20 -24 he describes the conditions of the survivors and those that will be resurrected during this time of judgement. Those resurrected ones will also have an opportunity to live according to God’s will in that “new world” and they will be judged then on how they react to his loving kindness.

The person not responding to God direction according to the scrolls will die as a mere boy even if he lives to a hundred years. This is because he could have had the opportunity to live for ever and rejected it.

(Isaiah 65:20-24) . . .No more will there come to be a suckling a few days old from that place, neither an old man that does not fulfill his days; for one will die as a mere boy, although a hundred years of age; and as for the sinner, although a hundred years of age he will have evil called down upon him.

New World Conditions

21 And they will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat [their] fruitage. 22 They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. 23 They will not toil for nothing, nor will they bring to birth for disturbance; because they are the offspring made up of the blessed ones of Jehovah, and their descendants with them. 24 And it will actually occur that before they call out I myself shall answer; while they are yet speaking, I myself shall hear.

Trees are on record as living for thousands of years. The Sequoia trees in the USA are recorded as being 3000 years old and still alive,

If the Bible has been so accurate up to this time, is there any logical reason why we should consider that these prophecies will not be fulfilled.

Open Your minds to the Warning Given

This shows us that it is not sufficient to blindly accept the religions of our fathers as they can also be deceived and God intends giving them an opportunity because of their ignorance. However we are not in the same position as they were.

(Acts 17:30-31) . . .True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. 31 Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.”
A study of scripture reveals that God has therefore made a merciful provision for them because of their ignorance. However if we have an opportunity to know the truth and reject it we become accountable to God and are regarded as willfully wicked by him. This indicates that we should always be open-minded to correction from the scriptures.

One of signs of the last days is the preaching of this kingdom message by Jehovah’s witnesses. Don’t be foolish like the pre-flood persons who did not take seriously the message that Noah preached.

(Matthew 24:14) . . .And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.

(2 Peter 2:4-6) . . .Certainly if God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tar?ta·rus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment; 5 and he did not hold back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people; 6 and by reducing the cities Sod?om and Go·mor?rah to ashes he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly persons of things to come;

A similar destruction came on the Jews in the 1st century of our common era. Jesus and all the first century Christians preached the “good news of the kingdom” and warned the Jews that when Jerusalem was surrounded by armies they should flee to the mountains. In 66 CE the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem and after fighting for a sort while withdrew for no accountable reason according to the 1st century Jewish historian, Josephus. In this way God opened a window of opportunity for the Christians to escape to the mountains in obedience to Jesus’ command. Those who obeyed were preserved, but those who mistook the window of opportunity for the finality of the matter either perished or were taken into captivity to the Romans. In 70 CE  the Romans returned and completely destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. This temple has never been rebuilt since then and this fact stands as a witness to the accuracy of bible prophecy. If you were a Jew and had foolishly not taken the warning seriously it would have led to your captivity or destruction. As this warning was given by Jesus to the people they would have been consigned to “Gehenna” without a hope of a resurrection.

(Luke 19:41-44) . . .And when he got nearby, he viewed the city and wept over it, 42 saying: “If you, even you, had discerned in this day the things having to do with peace—but now they have been hid from your eyes. 43 Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side, 44 and they will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being inspected. . .

The Jewish Historian recorded that all this happened exactly as was predicted.

One should remember that it was the religious clergy of that time that opposed the early Christians and even participated in the death of Jesus. This they did by misrepresenting the early Christians and Jesus to the secular authorities who then proceeded to bring the arm of the state against their witness work.

Jesus predicted that a similar opposition would occur in the future to his faithful servants, therefore if you pay heed to their misrepresentation you could lose your life.

It is safer to do as the Bereans did,

(Acts 17:10-11) . . .Immediately by night the brothers sent both Paul and Silas out to Be·roe?a, and these, upon arriving, went into the synagogue of the Jews1 11 Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni?ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. .

Sometimes persons cannot understand why religious leaders  should be the chief opposers, but the Bible shows that their reasoning is similar to the reasoning of the religious clergy of Jesus’ day.

(John 11:47-48) . . .Consequently the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the San?he·drin together and began to say: “What are we to do, because this man performs many signs? 48 If we let him alone this way, they will all put faith in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The religious clergy bitterly resent the exposure of their false teachings and unscriptural behavior.

This is not an attack on individual clergymen but the clergy as a class. Just as Nicodemus came to see Jesus by night because he did not want his fellow religious leaders to know for fear of criticism from his peers, some individuals may want the truth and take steps to obtain the truth. However once they know the truth they should take steps to disassociate themselves from that clergy class else they will be regarded as sharing in their sins and come under adverse Judgement. (See my article “Who is the Antichrist?” and “Who is Babylon the Great?”

If you doubt what I have said check this link which will take you to an official modern day report on the persecution of Jehovah’s wtnesses. You can also check other articles revealing the truth on many subjects regarding the authenticity of the Bible and its teachings and also the deception of the evolution theory If you know anything about the witnesses you will see that they are absolutely harmless, yet they are  being persecuted. They don’t take part in politics, never riot or participate in strikes. They get expelled from their congregations if they commit serious crimes and do not repent. They do not serve in the armed forces because their commission is to preach to all races and nationalities. They are not nationalistic. Secular authorities only persecute them because they obey all laws except when carrying out such a law would mean breaking a law of God. However the clergy very often misrepresent them. You should check this for you self. Your life may depend on this.

In Summary

So in summary we see that when the scriptures are studied using the topical method, which Jesus used when teaching his disciples (Luke 24:27) In that example Jesus selected the subject of the Messiah and drawing scriptures from the whole Bible and comparing them with one another he arrived at the truth. In this way the scriptures were used to explain one another and never contradicted themselves. This is the method I have used in this article. What is the result?

We have found that the teaching of hell and hellfire as the punishment for the wicked is a false doctrine, like many other false teachings that Christendom’s religions have been teaching. When humans die because of our inherited sinful state we go to the common grave from which we can be resurrected. When this happened we have paid for our sins in full.

Our only hope for the future is based on the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ which provides a legal basis for God to exercise mercy and give us a chance of receiving what Adam lost for us. God will ressurrect us if necessary to get this blessing and also if we never had a fair opportunity during our life then he will resurrect us to get this opportunity. If we are alive today the additional opportunity is for us to survive the destruction that is coming and to pass through this destruction without experiencing death into his new world of righteousness. This is the answer to the “Lords Prayer”

We should therefore view the scriptures as our supreme authority, checking the message brought by God’s servants so as to be certain that what they say is the truth. May you have this wonderful hope for the future.

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