Religions > Atheism > Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
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Religions > Atheism |
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"Sexual Chocolate" |
| Date: |
08 May 2007 01:04:57 PM |
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Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. We hear
stories of hell being a place of fire, demons, and endless torment.
Throughout history many authors have written about it, Dante's Inferno
for example. Western culture is very familiar with the concept. Even
Hollywood has made it the subject of many movies. Whatever the
context, whatever the belief, hell is definitely taught in the Bible. But even
the doctrine of hell is not without its controversy. Some say it is only the
grave with no consciousness. Others say it is a place of correction and
punishment that is not eternal. Others say it is an endless agonizing
punishment in fire. Whichever it is, hell is the total absence of the favor of
God.
http://bibleweb.info/ftp/ftp-members-0001.html
We don't like to think about death. It's not a pleasant subject,
and we avoid even discussing it seriously or giving it any diligent study.
Yet our appointment with death is the most certain event in our future.
We all know of personal examples when death has come suddenly
to people, without warning, without preparations; car accidents,
stray bullets, unforeseen strokes. When it comes our time,
what do we expect death to be like? How will we enter eternity?
The words associated with Hell
Gehenna
In the OT, the word for hell is 'ge-hinnom' meaning "Valley of Hinnom."
It was a place to the southwest of Jerusalem. This place was once "called
'Topheth' and derived from an Aramaic word meaning 'fireplace.' It was
here that some pagan kings practiced human sacrifice by fire (2 Chron.
28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 32:25)(1). This is probably why in the NT the
word came to be associated with destruction by fire. The word 'gehenna'
is found in the NT 12 times and every instance is spoken of by Jesus. In
the NT, "gehenna" is used of a condition and never of a place.
Hades
This word only occurs in the NT, ten times, and corresponds to the OT
word "sheol." Jesus uses the word four times: (Matthew 11:23);
(Matthew 16:18); (Luke 10:15); (Luke 16:23). The other six occur in
Acts 2:27,31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14.
It was probably the "subterranean abode of all the dead until the
judgment. It was divided into two departments, paradise or Abraham's
bosom for the good, and Gehenna or hell for the bad."(2) In particular, in
the account of Lazarus and the Rich man of (Luke 16:19-31), it is the
place of the conscious dead who are wicked.
Sheol
"The Hebrew word Sheol is probably derived from a root "to make
hollow," and was seen as the common receptacle of the dead and in the
great many places the word appears in the OT, it is referring to the
grave.(3) It is a place and is mentioned in Gen. 37:35; Num. 16:30,33;
Psalm 16:10, etc. Sheol has many meanings in scripture: the grave, the
underworld, the state of the dead. It was supposed to be below the
surface of the earth (Ezek. 31:15,17; Psalm 86:13).
Is Hell Eternal Conscious Torment?
There are some Christian groups and many cults that deny the idea that
hell, in the general sense, means eternal, conscious punishment. Some
maintain that God's eternal punishment is annihilation, or non-existence.
Others say it is temporal and that eventually all will be saved out of hell.
Perhaps the most common objection is that a loving God would never
punish people in eternal torment. We agree that God is love (1 John 4:8),
but He is also just (Neh. 9:32-33; 2 Thess. 1:6), and eternal (Psalm 90:2;
1 Tim. 1:17 ). God punishes the evil doer (Isaiah 11:13) and this
punishment will be eternal. But the question remains. Is this eternal
punishment conscious or not?
There are verses that can be interpreted to support the idea that the dead
are not conscious after death: (Ecc. 9:5 - the dead know nothing(4) and
Psalm 146:4 - their thoughts perish, are good examples.) Other verses
compare the dead to sleep: Acts 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:1-6; 1 Thess. 4:13,
etc. But these latter verses are merely comparing the similarity between
the appearance of the dead and the appearance of someone sleeping.
The Dead are Conscious After Death
The wicked descend alive into Sheol
Num. 16:30, "But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the
ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and
they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men
have spurned the Lord . . . 33So they and all that belonged to them went
down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished
from the midst of the assembly."
Cast to outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth
Matt. 8:12, "but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer
darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Those cast into the fire suffer consciously
Matt. 13:41-42, "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they
will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who
commit lawlessness, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that
place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." See also Matt.
13:50.
Cast into a tormenting fire
Rev. 14:9-10, "And 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 upon his hand, 10he 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." See also,
Rev. 21:8.
Hell is a place of eternal fire and punishment
Unquenchable Fire
Matt. 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the
barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Fiery Hell
Matt. 5:22, "whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go
into the fiery hell." See also, Matt. 5:29,30.
Fiery Hell
Matt. 18:8-9, "And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut
it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or
lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire.
9"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from
you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes,
to be cast into the fiery hell."
Eternal Fire
Matt. 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from
Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the
devil and his angels.
Eternal Punishment
Matt. 25:46, "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the
righteous into eternal life."
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.'"(5)
Eternal Fire
Jude 7, "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since
they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after
strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment
of eternal fire."
Lake of Fire
Rev. 20:15, "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of
life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Luke 16:19-31, Lazarus and the Rich Man
In Luke 16:19-31 is the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Basically,
Lazarus is a poor man who suffers during life. The rich man is, of course,
rich. They both die. The rich man goes to Hades. Lazarus goes to
Abraham's bosom, another term for paradise. In Hades, the rich man lifts
up his eyes and sees Lazarus far off. He cries out to Abraham and asks
for mercy because he is in agony in flame. Abraham says no. Then the
rich man asks if someone from the dead were to rise and go tell his
brothers not to come to this terrible place. Abraham teaches him that that
will not be done either.
Some say that this is a parable. However, if it is, it is unique because no
other parable actually names a person. It isn't a story. It is history. It
really happened. But many who believe in no consciousness after death
will say it is still a parable. The question then is, if it is? What is it
teaching? If hell fire is false and if self-awareness after death is also false,
then Jesus is using false doctrines to teach a truth. Parables illustrate truth.
If it is a parable what does the consciousness after death symbolize?
Also, what does the agony in flame symbolize? Are they not real? Of
course they are.
Conclusion
Hell is a real place. It is not mere unconsciousness. It is not temporal. It is
eternal torment. Perhaps that is why Jesus spoke more of hell than
heaven and spent so much time warning people not to go there. After all,
if people just stopped existing, why warn them? If it was temporal, they'd
get out in a while. But if it were eternal and conscious, then the warning is
strong.
Jesus said, "And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it
from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish,
than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30"And if your right hand
makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you
that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go
into hell," (Matt. 5:29-30).
_________________
1. Achtemeier, Paul J., Th.D., Harper's Bible Dictionary, (San Francisco:
Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) 1985.
2. Unger, Merrill F., Unger's Bible Dictionary, (Chicago: Moody Press,
1966, p. 437.
3. Vine, W. E., Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words, (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell) 1981.
4. Ecclesiastes is a book that is addressed as things appear "under the sun"
(Ecc. 1:3,9,14, etc.). In fact, the phrase "under the sun" occurs 29 times in
Ecclesiastes, a book written from the human perspective and boldly states
that all is vanity.
5. Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the
New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible
Societies) 1988, 1989.
Hell - Part II.
By popular demand, I have been required to add to the original material on this
subject.
Much of this material will overlap with the original material, however is will
demonstrate that there even more scholars that have the same understanding on
this subject.
My simple understanding is that I don't know "where" it is, but I don't want to
go there!
All of the posts will be archived on a web sire with a sufficient index for your
connivance.
More on Hell
1. Hell will be a place of unquenchable fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42;
Mark9:43
2. It will be a place of memory and remorse. Luke 16:19-31
3. It will be a place of thirst. Luke 16:24
4. It will be a place of misery and pain. Rev. 14:10, 11
5. It will be a place of frustration and anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51
6. It will be a place of separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15
7. It will be a place of undiluted divine wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10
8. It was originally prepared for Satan and his hosts. Matt. 25:41
9. It will be a place created for all eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46;
Jude 7
[1]
Willmington's Book of Bible Lists
Hell
Matthew 3:12 ...place of unquenchable fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42; ...
12 "His ?a?winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear
His threshing floor; and He will ?b?gather His wheat into the barn, but He
will burn up the ?c?chaff with ?d?unquenchable fire."
Matthew 13:41-42 ...fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42; Mark 9:43 ...
41 "?a?The Son of Man ?b?will send forth His angels, and they will gather
out of His kingdom ?1?all ?c?stumbling blocks, and those who commit
lawlessness,
42 and ?a?will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place ?b?there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mark 9:43 ...12; 13:41-42; Mark 9:43 2. It ...
43 "?a?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 ?1??b?hell, into
the ?c?unquenchable fire,
Luke 16:19-31 ...of memory and remorse. Luke 16:19-31 3. It will ...
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and
fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.
20 "And a poor man named Lazarus ?a?was laid at his gate, covered with
sores,
21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich
man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to
?a?Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 "In ?a?Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and ?*?saw
Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 "And he cried out and said, '?a?Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off
my tongue, for I am in agony in ?b?this flame.'
25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that ?a?during your life you
received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is
being comforted here, and you are in agony.
Luke 16:24 ...a place of thirst. Luke 16:24 4. It will ...
24 "And he cried out and said, '?a?Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off
my tongue, for I am in agony in ?b?this flame.'
Revelation 14:10-11 ...of misery and pain. Rev. 14:10, 11 5. It will ...
10 he also will drink of the ?a?wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed
?1?in full strength ?b?in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with
?c?fire and ?2?brimstone in the presence of the ?d?holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb.
11 "And the ?a?smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; ?b?they
have no rest day and night, those who ?c?worship the beast and his
?c?image, and ?1?whoever receives the ?d?mark of his name."
Matthew 13:42 ...of frustration and anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. ...
42 and ?a?will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place ?b?there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:51 ...anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. It will ...
51 and will ?1?cut him in pieces and ?2?assign him a place with the
hypocrites; in that place there will be ?a?weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 2:11 ...a place of separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 ...
11 '?a?He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. ?b?He who overcomes will not be hurt by the ?c?second death.'
Revelation 20:6 ...separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 7. It will ...
6 ?a?Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection;
over these the ?b?second death has no power, but they will be ?c?priests of
God and of Christ and will ?d?reign with Him for a thousand years.
Habakkuk 3:2 ...of undiluted divine wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 ...
2 Lord, I have ?a?heard ?1?the report about You and ?2?I ?b?fear.
O Lord, ?c?revive ?d?Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember ?3??e?mercy.
Revelation 14:10 ...wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 8. It ...
10 he also will drink of the ?a?wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed
?1?in full strength ?b?in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with
?c?fire and ?2?brimstone in the presence of the ?d?holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb.
Matthew 25:41 ...Satan and his hosts. Matt. 25:41 9. It will ...
41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, '?a?Depart from Me,
accursed ones, into the ?b?eternal fire which has been prepared for ?c?the
devil and his angels;
Daniel 12:2 ...created for all eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; ...
2 "?a?Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake,
?b?these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting
?1?contempt.
Matthew 25:46 ...eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7 ...
46 "These will go away into ?a?eternal punishment, but the righteous into
?b?eternal life."
Jude 1 ...2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7 ...
The Warnings of History to the Ungodly
1 ?1??a?Jude, a ?b?bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of
?2?James,
To ?c?those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and ?d?kept for
Jesus Christ:
HELL
Confused about eternal future, Job 10:19-22.
"Down to the pit," Job 33:24.
Depth of the earth, Psalm 63:9.
Enlarged capacity, Isaiah 5:14 (kjv).
Agreement with hell, Isaiah 28:18 (kjv).
Fires of Topheth, Isaiah 30:33.
"The world below," Ezekiel 32:19 (cev).
Broad road to hell, Matthew 7:13 (See gnb).
Fiery furnace, Matthew 13:37-42, 49-50.
Excluded from God's presence, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
Lake of fire, Revelation 19:19-21.
Those not in Book of Life, Revelation 20:7-15.
[2]
HELL
The Valley of Hinnom
A deep, narrow ravine south of Jebus (later Jerusalem) called the Valley of
Hinnom, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, was the boundary between the
territories of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 18:16). The location was unremarkable
in Joshua's day, but came to have great significance later in Israelite history.
In the period of the divided monarchy, this valley was the site of a pagan altar,
or "high place" (see Deut. 12:2), known as Tophet ("fireplace"). Parents
sacrificed their children there to the god Molech. The Bible singles out Ahaz and
Manasseh, kings of Judah, as having led the way in this grotesque ritual (2 Chr.
28:3; 33:6). But Scripture praises King Josiah for destroying this idolatrous altar
during his reforms (2 Kin. 23:10).
Jeremiah, who was called as a prophet during Josiah's reign, foretold that God
would judge the Israelites for committing the awful abomination of human
sacrifice, among other evils. The Lord would cause such destruction that the
Valley of Hinnom would become a cemetery known as the Valley of Slaughter
(Jer. 7:31-32; 19:1-6; 32:35).
This prophecy began to be fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Babylonians in 586 b.c. Later, the Valley of Hinnom became the city dump for
Jerusalem. Fires continually smouldered there, as the site was used as a burning
ground for refuse and the dead bodies of criminals and animals.
In time, the valley became so noxious that its name became a synonym for hell.
The Hebrew phrase ge ("valley of") hinnom eventually became the Greek
Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one time, Jewish tradition even
held that the entrance to hell began at that valley.
[3]
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
"The Gates of Hell"
Jesus referred to "the gates of Hades" (hell) in His bold statement to Peter
(Matt. 16:18). For Matthew's original readers, the word "gates" held special
significance.
Ancient cities erected walls to protect themselves from invaders. Here and there
along the walls they inserted massive gates to allow traffic in and out. In times of
trouble, they could close the gates against attacking armies or bandits.
City gates, then, tended to be thoroughfares through which communications and
commerce passed with frequency. Not surprisingly, bazaars and forums tended
to congregate around a city's gates, so that they became an important arena in a
town's public life. Goods were traded there and decision-makers gathered to
hear news and deliberate on events of the day. Such gates exist to this day in
some cities of the world.
Given this phenomenon, "gates" became a metaphor signifying the economic and
political life of a walled city. The influential and powerful did their business "in
the gates." For example, the husband of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is
"known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land" (Prov. 31:23).
Boaz, the intended husband of Ruth, went to the gate to buy a marriage license
(Ruth 4:1-12; also Deut. 25:7). War plans were devised and military treaties
signed in the gates (Judg. 5:8, 11). Kings sat in the gates to address their people
(2 Sam. 19:8). Even conspirators against kings hatched their plots and were
exposed in the gates (Esth. 2:19-23).
So when Jesus spoke of the gates of Hades, He was drawing on a powerful
image. Matthew's original readers would have seen it as a political metaphor,
the way we use the terms City Hall, the White House, or the Capitol today. For
them, the gates of Hades were not just a spiritual abstraction but actual forces of
evil at work among human systems-the Roman government, for instance.
While not evil in and of itself, first-century government was quickly becoming
corrupted and also anti-Christian.
Jesus was alluding to a spiritual warfare of cosmic proportions. His followers are
pitted against the powers of hell itself, which not only attack individual believers
but seek to corrupt institutions, enlisting them in their campaign against Christ.
Satan's guises can take many forms, as a look at any day's news will attest.
Fortunately, Jesus also promised that in the end the gates of Hades would not
succeed. That offers great hope to believers who live in difficult places and
contend for good against powerful entities that, in ways known and unknown,
are backed by spiritual forces of wickedness. In the midst of the fight Jesus has
declared: "I will build My church!"
[4]
What Does the Bible Say About
Other Tools
· Export Results to Verse List
Hell
Joshua 18:16 ...of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 18:16). The location ...
16 The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the ?a?valley
of Ben-hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward; and it went
down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and
went down to En-rogel.
Deuteronomy 12:2 ...or "high place" (see Deut. 12:2), known as Tophet ("...
2 "You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you
shall dispossess serve their gods, on the ?a?high mountains and on the hills
and under every green tree.
2 Chronicles 28:3 ...in this grotesque ritual (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). ...
3 Moreover, ?a?he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and
?b?burned his sons in fire, ?c?according to the abominations of the nations
whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:6 ...2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). But Scripture praises ...
6 ?a?He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom;
and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and ?b?dealt
with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord,
provoking Him to anger.
2 Kings 23:10 ...altar during his reforms (2 Kin. 23:10). Jeremiah, who ...
10 ?a?He also defiled ?1?Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of
Hinnom, ?b?that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the
fire for ?c?Molech.
Jeremiah 7:31-32 ...the Valley of Slaughter (Jer. 7:31-32; 19:...
31 "They have ?a?built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of
the son of Hinnom, to ?b?burn their sons and their daughters in the fire,
which I ?c?did not command, and it did not come into My ?1?mind.
32 "?a?Therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when it
will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the
valley of the Slaughter; for they will ?b?bury in Topheth ?1?because there is
no other place.
Jeremiah 19:1-6 ...Jer. 7:31-32; 19:1-6; 32:35). This ...
The Broken Jar
1 Thus says the Lord, "Go and buy a ?a?potter's earthenware ?b?jar, and
take some of the ?c?elders of the people and some of the ?1??d?senior
priests.
2 "Then go out to the ?a?valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance
of the potsherd gate, and ?b?proclaim there the words that I tell you,
3 and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O ?a?kings of Judah and
inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
"Behold I am about to bring a ?b?calamity upon this place, at which the
?c?ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle.
4 "Because they have ?a?forsaken Me and have ?b?made this an alien
place and have burned ?1?sacrifices in it to ?c?other gods, that neither they
nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because
they have filled this place with the ?d?blood of the innocent
5 and have built the ?a?high places of Baal to burn their ?b?sons in the fire
as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke
Jeremiah 32:35 ...32; 19:1-6; 32:35). This prophecy began ...
35 "They built the ?a?high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-
hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to
?b?Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it ?1?entered My
mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
Matthew 5:22 ...became the Greek Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:...
22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be
?1?guilty before ?a?the court; and whoever says to his brother, '?2?You
good-for-nothing,' shall be ?1?guilty before ?3??b?the supreme court; and
whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be ?1?guilty enough to go into the
?4??c?fiery hell.
Mark 9:43 ...Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At ...
43 "?a?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 ?1??b?hell, into
the ?c?unquenchable fire,
Mark 9:45 ...22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one ...
45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to
enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into ?1??a?hell,
Mark 9:47 ...Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one time, ...
47 "?a?If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you
to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast
into ?1??b?hell,
Viewing Salvation as an Escape From Sin's Judgment
Perhaps many believers fall far short of the biblical norm because they are not
truly interested in reaching it. For those who fit this category, the focus of their
encounter with Christ is often on personal salvation from the guilt and the penalty
for their sins. While this emphasis is harmonious with Scripture as one begins his
walk with God, it is not sufficient for a life that could be called "Christian" in the
full sense of the word.
The experience of one of my high school classmates is a case in point. At the
time I was a sincere Roman Catholic with a deep God consciousness. I had a
hunger to know the Lord in a personal way but did not find him within my
church. I lived a very moral life and was known as one of the "good religious
boys" on campus.
The only Protestant churches I knew anything about we called "holy roller"
churches. And they were! I remember one located a few blocks from my home.
While walking near the church during evening services I could hear their
"worship" half a block away from the church.
At first I was amused by it all. Later I became repelled by their emotional frenzy.
It seemed eerie, almost fearful. I was glad I didn't belong to that kind of church.
A group of us would occasionally stand outside one of the windows to watch
the spectacle. The noise level was unbelievable. Men and women were shouting
and falling on the floor. Everything seemed to be in total confusion.
One of my high school friends was a nice "unsaved" Protestant even as I was a
Roman Catholic. He too lived a very moral life. We enjoyed our friendship,
loved the outdoors, sports, and the good things kids did in high school without
getting involved in "sinful" activities.
One day I heard that my friend had "gotten saved" at a "holy roller" meeting.
"John, we heard you 'got saved' last Sunday. What does that mean?" a group
of us asked him.
"Well, the pastor preached a sermon on hell. It scared me so much I was
determined I didn't want to go there if I could avoid it," he replied. "He said if
we would come to the altar and confess our sins we would 'get saved' from
hell. So I did. I don't want to go to hell."
"What else did he tell you?" we asked.
"He said it is a sin to go to the movies and dances. I have to stay away from
those things or I could still end up in hell," he replied.
This was too much for all of us, me included. While I understood sin and
believed in hell, I had never heard that movies and dances were sinful and would
send you to hell. We all told him to leave the holy roller church. After a short
time he did.
By his own confession he went forward to "get saved" to "escape hell."3
Evidently the love and beauty of God's plan of salvation was not presented or,
at least, did not reach him.
Did he truly find the Lord? I don't know. Perhaps we were the voice of the Evil
One through whom the Word sown was removed from his heart (Matt. 13:19).
Perhaps he never was given the "word of the kingdom," so there was really no
firm truth to remove from his heart.
[5]
HELL-the place of eternal punishment for the unrighteous. The nkjv and kjv
use this word to translate sheol and hades, the Old and New Testament words,
respectively, for the abode of the dead.
Hell as a place of punishment translates Gehenna, the Greek form of the
Hebrew word that means "the vale of Hinnom"-a valley just south of
Jerusalem. In this valley the Canaanites worshiped Baal and the fire-god Molech
by sacrificing their children in a fire that burned continuously. Even Ahaz and
Manasseh, kings of Judah, were guilty of this terrible, idolatrous practice (2 Chr.
28:3; 33:6).
The prophet Jeremiah predicted that God would visit such destruction upon
Jerusalem that this valley would be known as the "Valley of Slaughter" (Jer.
7:31-34; 19:2, 6). In his religious reforms, King Josiah put an end to this
worship. He defiled the valley in order to make it unfit even for pagan worship
(2 Kin. 23:10).
In the time of Jesus the Valley of Hinnom was used as the garbage dump of
Jerusalem. Into it were thrown all the filth and garbage of the city, including the
dead bodies of animals and executed criminals. To consume all this, fires burned
constantly. Maggots worked in the filth. When the wind blew from that direction
over the city, its awfulness was quite evident. At night wild dogs howled and
gnashed their teeth as they fought over the garbage.
Jesus used this awful scene as a symbol of hell. In effect he said, "Do you want
to know what hell is like? Look at the valley of Gehenna." So hell may be
described as God's "cosmic garbage dump." All that refuse to be made fit for
heaven will be turned away into hell.
The word Gehenna occurs twelve times in the New Testament. Each time it is
translated as "hell." With the exception of James 3:6, it is used only by Jesus
(Matt. 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5). In
Matthew 5:22, 18:9; and Mark 9:47, it is used with "fire" as "hell fire." So the
word hell (Gehenna) as a place of punishment is used in the New Testament by
Him who is the essence of infinite love.
In Mark 9:46 and 48, hell is described as a place where "their worm does not
die and the fire is not quenched." Repeatedly Jesus spoke of outer darkness and
a furnace of fire, where there will be wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth
(Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). Obviously this
picture is drawn from the valley of Gehenna.
The Book of Revelation describes hell as "a lake of fire burning with brimstone"
(Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8). Into hell will be thrown the beast and the
false prophet (Rev. 19:20). At the end of the age the devil himself will be thrown
into it, along with death and hades and all whose names are not in the Book of
Life. "And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).
Because of the symbolic nature of the language, some people question whether
hell consists of actual fire. Such reasoning should bring no comfort to the lost.
The reality is greater than the symbol. The Bible exhausts human language in
describing heaven and hell. The former is more glorious, and the latter more
terrible, than language can express.
[6]
Your Destiny
Whom will you serve? God leaves that choice in your hands. Love knows no
other way. In order to respect your free choice, God has made the evidence for
Christianity convincing but not compelling. If you want to suppress or ignore the
evidence all around you (Rom. 1:18-20)-including that which is presented in
this book-then you are free to do so. But that would be a volitional act, not a
rational one. You can reject Christ, but you cannot honestly say there's not
enough evidence to believe in him.
C. S. Lewis said it best when he wrote, "There are only two kinds of people in
the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God
says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that
self-choice there would be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires
joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is
opened."?5?
The door is being held open by Jesus Christ. How can you walk through it? Paul
wrote, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your
heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you
confess and are saved" (Rom. 10:9).
You say, "I believe that Jesus rose from the dead." Good. But merely believing
that Jesus rose from the dead is not enough. You need to put your trust in him.
You can believe that a certain person would make a great spouse, but that's not
enough to make that person your husband or wife. You must go beyond the
intellectual to volitional-you must put your trust in that person by saying "I do."
The same is true concerning your relationship with God. Trusting him is not just
a decision of the head but one of the heart. As someone once said, "The
distance between heaven and hell is about eighteen inches-the distance
between the head and the heart."
What happens if you freely choose not to walk through the door Jesus is holding
open? Jesus said you will remain in your condemned state: "For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of
God's one and only Son" (John 3:18). In other words, you'll remain condemned
and separated from God forever. God will respect your choice by saying to you,
"Thy will be done."
You say, "God doesn't send anyone to hell!" You're right. If you reject Christ,
you'll send yourself there.
You say, "God will just annihilate those who don't believe." No, he won't. Hell
is real. In fact, Jesus spoke more of hell then he did of heaven. God will not
annihilate unbelievers because he will not destroy creatures made in his own
image. That would be an attack on himself. (What would you think of an earthly
father who killed his son just because his son chose not to do what his father
wanted him to do?) God is too loving to destroy those who don't want to be in
his presence. His only choice is to quarantine those who reject him. That's what
hell does-it quarantines evil, which is contagious.
You say, "God will save everybody!" How? Against their will? Some people
would rather be ruined than changed. They'd rather continue their rebellion than
be reformed. So God says, "Have it your way. You may continue your
rebellion, but you'll be quarantined so that you can't pollute the rest of my
creation." Besides, it would be unloving of God to send people who can't bear
to spend an hour on Sunday praising him to a place where they will be praising
him for eternity. That would be "hell" to them!
You say, "I can't believe there is only one way to God." Why not? Do you need
more than one way to get into a building? Do you bring this charge against
Muslims for saying that Islam is the only way? How about Hindus? They say
reincarnation is the only way to salvation. We have shown philosophically and
biblically that Jesus is the only way to reconcile infinite justice and infinite love. If
that's not true, then God sent Jesus to die a brutal death for nothing.
You say, "But what about those who have never heard?" Why should that affect
your decision? You have heard!
"Because I can't believe in a God who would torture people in hell just because
they haven't heard of Jesus." Who said God does this? First, God doesn't
torture anyone. Hell is not a place of externally inflicted torture, but a place of
self-inflicted torment (Luke 16:23, 28). Those in hell certainly don't want it, but
they will it. Hell is a terrible place, but its doors are locked on the inside.
Second, people may choose hell whether or not they've heard of Jesus.
Everyone knows of God because of the starry heavens above and the Moral
Law within (Rom 1:18-20; 2:14-15). Those who reject that natural revelation
will reject Jesus too. However, those that truly seek God will be rewarded
(Heb. 11:6). Since God wants everyone to be saved (even more than you
do-2 Pet. 3:9), he will ensure that seekers get the information they need. And
since God is just (Gen. 18:25; Ps. 9:8; Rom. 3:26), no one will go to hell who
should go to heaven, and vice versa. "In the meantime," as C. S. Lewis said, "if
you are worried about people on the outside, the most unreasonable thing you
can do is to remain outside yourself. Christians are Christ's body, the organism
through which he works. Every addition to that body enables Him to do more. If
you want to help those outside, you must add your own little cell to the body of
Christ who alone can help them. Cutting off a man's fingers would be an odd
way of getting him to do more work."?6?
You say, "You Christians just want to scare people with hell!" No, we just want
people to know the truth. If that scares them, maybe it should. We certainly
don't like what the Bible says about hell. We wish it weren't true. But Jesus,
who is God, taught it, and for good reason. It seems to be necessary. Without a
hell, injustices in this world would never be righted, the free choices of people
would not be respected, and the greater good of a redemption could never be
accomplished. If there is no heaven to seek and no hell to shun, then nothing in
this universe has any ultimate meaning: your choices, your pleasures, your
sufferings, the lives of you and your loved ones ultimately mean nothing. We
struggle through this life for no ultimate reason, and Christ died for nothing.
Without heaven and hell, this incredibly designed universe is a stairway to
nowhere.
"So what?" says the atheist. "Maybe this universe is a stairway to nowhere. Just
because you want life to have meaning doesn't mean it does." True. But we
don't just want life to have meaning-we have evidence that it has meaning.?7?
We end with the greatest news anyone could ever hear. Your choices do
matter. Your life does have ultimate meaning. And thanks to Christ, no one has
to experience hell. Every human being can accept his free gift of eternal
salvation. It takes no effort at all. Does it take some faith? Yes, but every
choice-even the choice to reject Christ-requires faith. Since the evidence
shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the Bible is true, accepting Christ is the
choice that requires the least amount of faith. The choice is up to you. Do you
have enough faith to believe anything else?
You say, "I still have doubts and questions." So what? We do too. Everyone
has doubts and questions. And why shouldn't we? As finite creatures, we
shouldn't expect to understand everything about an infinite God and how he
does things. Paul certainly didn't (Rom. 11:33-36), and many of the Old
Testament writers expressed doubts and even questioned God.?8? But since we
are finite creatures who must make our decisions based on probability, there has
to be a point where we realize that the weight of the evidence comes down on
one side or the other. We'll never have all the answers. But as we have seen
throughout this book, there are more than enough answers to give God the
benefit of our doubts.
Finally, have you ever thought about questioning your doubts? Just ask yourself,
"Is it reasonable to doubt that Christianity is true in light of all the evidence?"
Probably not. In fact, in light of the evidence, you ought to have a lot more
doubts about atheism and every other non-Christian belief system. They are not
reasonable. Christianity is. So start doubting your doubts and accept Christ. It
takes too much faith to believe anything else!
[7]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]Willmington, H. L. (1987). Willmington's book of Bible lists. Wheaton, Ill.:
Tyndale House.
kjv King James Version
cev Contemporary English Version
gnb Good News Bible
[2]Anderson, K. (1996). Where to find it in the Bible. Nashville: T. Nelson
Publishers.
[3]Thomas Nelson Publishers. (2001). What does the Bible say about-- : The
ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated. Nelson's A to Z series (197). Nashville,
Tenn.: Thomas Nelson.
[4]Thomas Nelson Publishers. (2001). What does the Bible say about-- : The
ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated. Nelson's A to Z series (378). Nashville,
Tenn.: Thomas Nelson.
3 3. Hell is a reality. The New Testament is filled with references to it, many
from the lips of Jesus Himself. This was not His main message, however. His
main message was the kingdom of God and eternal life.
[5]Murphy, E. F. (1997, c1996). Handbook for spiritual warfare (89).
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[6]Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible
handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
5 C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (New York: Macmillan, 1946), 72.
6 C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1943), 65.
7 For more on hell and objections to hell, see Norman Geisler, Baker
Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1999),
308-313.
8 For examples of Bible books where doubt and questions about God are
expressed, see Job, many of the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations.
[7]Geisler, N. L., & Turek, F. (2004). I don't have enough faith to be an atheist
(384). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
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| User: "Shes So Fat ..." |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 01:46:32 PM |
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http://76.162.173.93/prophecy/=CD-R=heaven-and-hell/
http://76.162.173.93//members/=CD-R=r-c-sproul/hell/
login: guest password: guest
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| User: "Jim07D7" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 02:15:26 PM |
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"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> said:
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Yes, a practiced preacher can make a fine living, off that discomfort.
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| User: "Robibnikoff" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 01:32:25 PM |
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"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
--
Robyn
Resident Witchypoo
BAAWA Knight!
#1557
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| User: "Steve O" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 01:42:42 PM |
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"Robibnikoff" <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in message
news:5abu1hF2oahltU1@mid.individual.net...
"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
The Christian Hell is a piece of cake compared to others.
I've heard the Muslim Hell, jahannan, can be quite a nasty place.
If I had to go to hell at all, I think I would prefer the Chinese Hell, DI
Yu, where I hear the guardians there are not averse to a little bribery to
make death a little more comfortable, which is why relatives are often seen
burning banknotes or "Hell Notes" for them to bribe the guards with.
--
Steve O
a.a. #2240 (Apatheist Chapter)
B.A.A.W.A.
Convicted by Earthquack
"The only problem with Baptists is that they don't hold them underwater long
enough"
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| User: "Hollis Brown" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 02:50:34 PM |
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Sounds like we're gonna need a biger garbage
heap to burn all these atheists out of the Christian newsgroups.-
Alternatively, you could stop initiating such twattish cross-posts.
Why do you brave warriors for Jesus need so many aliases? It appears
you do not actually want to be associated with what you are posting.
Just another means of denying Christ, I guess.
Or, are you an atheist posing as a Christian in order to make them
look like assholes? If so, you are doing a good job, but what's the
point? We have to live with these people.
HB
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| User: "Michael Gray" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 06:22:30 PM |
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On 8 May 2007 12:50:34 -0700, Hollis Brown <AT_Tappman@hotmail.com>
wrote:
- Refer: <1178653834.408421.312530@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>
Sounds like we're gonna need a biger garbage
heap to burn all these atheists out of the Christian newsgroups.-
Alternatively, you could stop initiating such twattish cross-posts.
Why do you brave warriors for Jesus need so many aliases?
Because they are ALL blatant liars.
They HAVE to be to push their toxic mind-virus.
(It's OK to lie, it seems, provided that they do so in the service of
their group mental illness)
:
--
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| User: "John Baker" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 08:42:03 PM |
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On 8 May 2007 12:50:34 -0700, Hollis Brown <AT_Tappman@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Sounds like we're gonna need a biger garbage
heap to burn all these atheists out of the Christian newsgroups.-
Alternatively, you could stop initiating such twattish cross-posts.
Why do you brave warriors for Jesus need so many aliases? It appears
you do not actually want to be associated with what you are posting.
Just another means of denying Christ, I guess.
Or, are you an atheist posing as a Christian in order to make them
look like assholes? If so, you are doing a good job, but what's the
point?
Indeed. They generally do a good enough job in that department without
any help from us.
We have to live with these people.
HB
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
09 May 2007 06:58:58 AM |
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Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Robibnikoff <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in message
Sexual Chocolate <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
The Christian Hell is a piece of cake compared to others.
I've heard the Muslim Hell, jahannan, can be quite a nasty place.
If I had to go to hell at all, I think I would prefer the Chinese Hell, DI
Yu, where I hear the guardians there are not averse to a little bribery to
make death a little more comfortable, which is why relatives are often seen
burning banknotes or "Hell Notes" for them to bribe the guards with.
I wonder who invented that practice? I can picture some con man
telling people they needed to burn money, but that they should bring
it to him, and then he'd cleverly switch the money with paper and
burn the paper instead, but telling people to burn their money
themselves seems like something a con man wouldn't come
up with.
--
Elroy Willis
www.elroysemporium.com
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| User: "Steve O" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
09 May 2007 09:13:34 AM |
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"Elroy Willis" <elroywillis@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:m9d343t4k27moo6aijnb3a2e9l03hmc4h6@4ax.com...
Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Robibnikoff <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in message
Sexual Chocolate <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
The Christian Hell is a piece of cake compared to others.
I've heard the Muslim Hell, jahannan, can be quite a nasty place.
If I had to go to hell at all, I think I would prefer the Chinese Hell,
DI
Yu, where I hear the guardians there are not averse to a little bribery
to
make death a little more comfortable, which is why relatives are often
seen
burning banknotes or "Hell Notes" for them to bribe the guards with.
I wonder who invented that practice? I can picture some con man
telling people they needed to burn money, but that they should bring
it to him, and then he'd cleverly switch the money with paper and
burn the paper instead, but telling people to burn their money
themselves seems like something a con man wouldn't come
up with.
Not sure who invented it or what the exchange rate is like, but I'm sure
someone must have made a mint from it!
See;
http://www.luckymojo.com/hellmoney.html
--
Steve O
a.a. #2240 (Apatheist Chapter)
B.A.A.W.A.
Convicted by Earthquack
"The only problem with Baptists is that they don't hold them underwater long
enough"
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
09 May 2007 09:44:14 AM |
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Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elroywillis@swbell.net> wrote in message
Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
If I had to go to hell at all, I think I would prefer the Chinese Hell,
DI Yu, where I hear the guardians there are not averse to a little bribery
to make death a little more comfortable, which is why relatives are often
seen burning banknotes or "Hell Notes" for them to bribe the guards with.
I wonder who invented that practice? I can picture some con man
telling people they needed to burn money, but that they should bring
it to him, and then he'd cleverly switch the money with paper and
burn the paper instead, but telling people to burn their money
themselves seems like something a con man wouldn't come
up with.
Not sure who invented it or what the exchange rate is like, but I'm sure
someone must have made a mint from it!
See;
http://www.luckymojo.com/hellmoney.html
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the link.
It wasn't clear to me though, whether those hell notes could be cashed
in for a loaf of bread or carton of milk to feed one's family.
I'm gonna check out Ebay and see if some of 'em are for sale on
there...
--
Elroy Willis
www.elroysemporium.com
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| User: "Steve O" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
09 May 2007 10:49:15 AM |
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"Elroy Willis" <elroywillis@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:t8n343ld9iprqhrm5e9oi0s2h6v13nvo87@4ax.com...
Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elroywillis@swbell.net> wrote in message
Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
If I had to go to hell at all, I think I would prefer the Chinese Hell,
DI Yu, where I hear the guardians there are not averse to a little
bribery
to make death a little more comfortable, which is why relatives are
often
seen burning banknotes or "Hell Notes" for them to bribe the guards
with.
I wonder who invented that practice? I can picture some con man
telling people they needed to burn money, but that they should bring
it to him, and then he'd cleverly switch the money with paper and
burn the paper instead, but telling people to burn their money
themselves seems like something a con man wouldn't come
up with.
Not sure who invented it or what the exchange rate is like, but I'm sure
someone must have made a mint from it!
See;
http://www.luckymojo.com/hellmoney.html
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the link.
You're welcome.
It wasn't clear to me though, whether those hell notes could be cashed
in for a loaf of bread or carton of milk to feed one's family.
Nah, they're just toy paper money.
I once bought some from a store in the Chinatown area near to me just to
show to the kid.
I'm gonna check out Ebay and see if some of 'em are for sale on
there...
If you have any problems finding any, maybe I could get some for you.
However, I'm left wondering what the hell you're gonna do with them! (pun
intended)
--
Steve O
a.a. #2240 (Apatheist Chapter)
B.A.A.W.A.
Convicted by Earthquack
"The only problem with Baptists is that they don't hold them underwater long
enough"
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
10 May 2007 07:06:48 AM |
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Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elroywillis@swbell.net> wrote in message
Steve O <spamhere@nowhere.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Not sure who invented it or what the exchange rate is like, but I'm sure
someone must have made a mint from it!
See;
http://www.luckymojo.com/hellmoney.html
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the link.
You're welcome.
It wasn't clear to me though, whether those hell notes could be cashed
in for a loaf of bread or carton of milk to feed one's family.
Nah, they're just toy paper money.
I once bought some from a store in the Chinatown area near to me just to
show to the kid.
I'm gonna check out Ebay and see if some of 'em are for sale on
there...
If you have any problems finding any, maybe I could get some for you.
However, I'm left wondering what the hell you're gonna do with them! (pun
intended)
They'd just be a curiosity, something to show people & talk about.
The whole idea seems similar to the Catholic indulgences in a way,
and I wonder if it was Catholics who started it there in China.
--
Elroy Willis
www.elroysemporium.com
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| User: "cactus" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 02:32:12 PM |
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Steve O wrote:
"Robibnikoff" <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in message
news:5abu1hF2oahltU1@mid.individual.net...
"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
The Christian Hell is a piece of cake compared to others.
I've heard the Muslim Hell, jahannan, can be quite a nasty place.
If I had to go to hell at all, I think I would prefer the Chinese Hell, DI
Yu, where I hear the guardians there are not averse to a little bribery to
make death a little more comfortable, which is why relatives are often seen
burning banknotes or "Hell Notes" for them to bribe the guards with.
Regardless of whose it is, hell is for those who believe in it.
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| User: "Llanzlan Klazmon the 15th" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 05:47:22 PM |
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"Robibnikoff" <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in news:5abu1hF2oahltU1
@mid.individual.net:
"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
Hey Valhalla has those Valkyries like Brunhilde!. Doesn't sound too bad
;-).
Klamzon
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| User: "Stan-O" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 07:52:38 PM |
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On 9 May 2007 10:47:22 +1200, Llanzlan Klazmon the 15th
<Klazmon@llurdiaxorb.govt> wrote:
"Robibnikoff" <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in news:5abu1hF2oahltU1
@mid.individual.net:
"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
Hey Valhalla has those Valkyries like Brunhilde!. Doesn't sound too bad
;-).
Yes, big, "Rubinesque" women are much more to my liking than those
seventeen skinny, skanky-assed, virgins that the Muslims promise
you'll meet...
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| User: "JohnN" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
09 May 2007 09:49:30 AM |
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On May 8, 8:52 pm, Stan-O <lct...@ungo.com> wrote:
On 9 May 2007 10:47:22 +1200, Llanzlan Klazmon the 15th
<Klaz...@llurdiaxorb.govt> wrote:
"Robibnikoff" <witchy...@broomstick.com> wrote in news:5abu1hF2oahltU1
@mid.individual.net:
"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_...@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
Hey Valhalla has those Valkyries like Brunhilde!. Doesn't sound too bad
;-).
Yes, big, "Rubinesque" women are much more to my liking than those
seventeen skinny, skanky-assed, virgins that the Muslims promise
you'll meet...
And mead, don't forget the mead.
JohnN (son of JohnNson)
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| User: "Uncle Vic" |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 10:49:53 PM |
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One fine day in alt.atheism, Stan-O <lctaht@ungo.com> bloodied us up with
this:
On 9 May 2007 10:47:22 +1200, Llanzlan Klazmon the 15th
<Klazmon@llurdiaxorb.govt> wrote:
"Robibnikoff" <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote in news:5abu1hF2oahltU1
@mid.individual.net:
"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message
news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable.
Doesn't bother me in the least. Does Valhalla bother you?
Hey Valhalla has those Valkyries like Brunhilde!. Doesn't sound too bad
;-).
Yes, big, "Rubinesque" women are much more to my liking than those
seventeen skinny, skanky-assed, virgins that the Muslims promise
you'll meet...
Ha ha ha. Muslims. Little do they know, these are the virgins Allah
promised them.
http://barista.media2.org/?p=2681
--
Uncle Vic
aa Atheist #2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department.
Convicted by Earthquack. Plonked by Fester.
Member Duke Spanking Club.
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| User: "Shes So Fat ..." |
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| Title: Re: Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. |
08 May 2007 01:23:13 PM |
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"Sexual Chocolate" <sc_012@ohya.com> wrote in message news:4640bb6e$0$23340$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com...
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. We hear
stories of hell being a place of fire, demons, and endless torment.
Throughout history many authors have written about it, Dante's Inferno
for example. Western culture is very familiar with the concept. Even
Hollywood has made it the subject of many movies. Whatever the
context, whatever the belief, hell is definitely taught in the Bible. But even
the doctrine of hell is not without its controversy. Some say it is only the
grave with no consciousness. Others say it is a place of correction and
punishment that is not eternal. Others say it is an endless agonizing
punishment in fire. Whichever it is, hell is the total absence of the favor of
God.
http://bibleweb.info/ftp/ftp-members-0001.html
http://76.162.173.93//members/=CD-R=r-c-sproul/hell/
login: guest password: guest
We don't like to think about death. It's not a pleasant subject,
and we avoid even discussing it seriously or giving it any diligent study.
Yet our appointment with death is the most certain event in our future.
We all know of personal examples when death has come suddenly
to people, without warning, without preparations; car accidents,
stray bullets, unforeseen strokes. When it comes our time,
what do we expect death to be like? How will we enter eternity?
The words associated with Hell
Gehenna
In the OT, the word for hell is 'ge-hinnom' meaning "Valley of Hinnom."
It was a place to the southwest of Jerusalem. This place was once "called
'Topheth' and derived from an Aramaic word meaning 'fireplace.' It was
here that some pagan kings practiced human sacrifice by fire (2 Chron.
28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 32:25)(1). This is probably why in the NT the
word came to be associated with destruction by fire. The word 'gehenna'
is found in the NT 12 times and every instance is spoken of by Jesus. In
the NT, "gehenna" is used of a condition and never of a place.
Hades
This word only occurs in the NT, ten times, and corresponds to the OT
word "sheol." Jesus uses the word four times: (Matthew 11:23);
(Matthew 16:18); (Luke 10:15); (Luke 16:23). The other six occur in
Acts 2:27,31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14.
It was probably the "subterranean abode of all the dead until the
judgment. It was divided into two departments, paradise or Abraham's
bosom for the good, and Gehenna or hell for the bad."(2) In particular, in
the account of Lazarus and the Rich man of (Luke 16:19-31), it is the
place of the conscious dead who are wicked.
Sheol
"The Hebrew word Sheol is probably derived from a root "to make
hollow," and was seen as the common receptacle of the dead and in the
great many places the word appears in the OT, it is referring to the
grave.(3) It is a place and is mentioned in Gen. 37:35; Num. 16:30,33;
Psalm 16:10, etc. Sheol has many meanings in scripture: the grave, the
underworld, the state of the dead. It was supposed to be below the
surface of the earth (Ezek. 31:15,17; Psalm 86:13).
Is Hell Eternal Conscious Torment?
There are some Christian groups and many cults that deny the idea that
hell, in the general sense, means eternal, conscious punishment. Some
maintain that God's eternal punishment is annihilation, or non-existence.
Others say it is temporal and that eventually all will be saved out of hell.
Perhaps the most common objection is that a loving God would never
punish people in eternal torment. We agree that God is love (1 John 4:8),
but He is also just (Neh. 9:32-33; 2 Thess. 1:6), and eternal (Psalm 90:2;
1 Tim. 1:17 ). God punishes the evil doer (Isaiah 11:13) and this
punishment will be eternal. But the question remains. Is this eternal
punishment conscious or not?
There are verses that can be interpreted to support the idea that the dead
are not conscious after death: (Ecc. 9:5 - the dead know nothing(4) and
Psalm 146:4 - their thoughts perish, are good examples.) Other verses
compare the dead to sleep: Acts 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:1-6; 1 Thess. 4:13,
etc. But these latter verses are merely comparing the similarity between
the appearance of the dead and the appearance of someone sleeping.
The Dead are Conscious After Death
The wicked descend alive into Sheol
Num. 16:30, "But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the
ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and
they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men
have spurned the Lord . . . 33So they and all that belonged to them went
down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished
from the midst of the assembly."
Cast to outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth
Matt. 8:12, "but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer
darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Those cast into the fire suffer consciously
Matt. 13:41-42, "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they
will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who
commit lawlessness, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that
place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." See also Matt.
13:50.
Cast into a tormenting fire
Rev. 14:9-10, "And 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 upon his hand, 10he 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." See also,
Rev. 21:8.
Hell is a place of eternal fire and punishment
Unquenchable Fire
Matt. 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the
barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Fiery Hell
Matt. 5:22, "whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go
into the fiery hell." See also, Matt. 5:29,30.
Fiery Hell
Matt. 18:8-9, "And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut
it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or
lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire.
9"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from
you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes,
to be cast into the fiery hell."
Eternal Fire
Matt. 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from
Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the
devil and his angels.
Eternal Punishment
Matt. 25:46, "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the
righteous into eternal life."
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.'"(5)
Eternal Fire
Jude 7, "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since
they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after
strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment
of eternal fire."
Lake of Fire
Rev. 20:15, "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of
life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Luke 16:19-31, Lazarus and the Rich Man
In Luke 16:19-31 is the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Basically,
Lazarus is a poor man who suffers during life. The rich man is, of course,
rich. They both die. The rich man goes to Hades. Lazarus goes to
Abraham's bosom, another term for paradise. In Hades, the rich man lifts
up his eyes and sees Lazarus far off. He cries out to Abraham and asks
for mercy because he is in agony in flame. Abraham says no. Then the
rich man asks if someone from the dead were to rise and go tell his
brothers not to come to this terrible place. Abraham teaches him that that
will not be done either.
Some say that this is a parable. However, if it is, it is unique because no
other parable actually names a person. It isn't a story. It is history. It
really happened. But many who believe in no consciousness after death
will say it is still a parable. The question then is, if it is? What is it
teaching? If hell fire is false and if self-awareness after death is also false,
then Jesus is using false doctrines to teach a truth. Parables illustrate truth.
If it is a parable what does the consciousness after death symbolize?
Also, what does the agony in flame symbolize? Are they not real? Of
course they are.
Conclusion
Hell is a real place. It is not mere unconsciousness. It is not temporal. It is
eternal torment. Perhaps that is why Jesus spoke more of hell than
heaven and spent so much time warning people not to go there. After all,
if people just stopped existing, why warn them? If it was temporal, they'd
get out in a while. But if it were eternal and conscious, then the warning is
strong.
Jesus said, "And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it
from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish,
than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30"And if your right hand
makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you
that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go
into hell," (Matt. 5:29-30).
_________________
1. Achtemeier, Paul J., Th.D., Harper's Bible Dictionary, (San Francisco:
Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) 1985.
2. Unger, Merrill F., Unger's Bible Dictionary, (Chicago: Moody Press,
1966, p. 437.
3. Vine, W. E., Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words, (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell) 1981.
4. Ecclesiastes is a book that is addressed as things appear "under the sun"
(Ecc. 1:3,9,14, etc.). In fact, the phrase "under the sun" occurs 29 times in
Ecclesiastes, a book written from the human perspective and boldly states
that all is vanity.
5. Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the
New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible
Societies) 1988, 1989.
Hell - Part II.
By popular demand, I have been required to add to the original material on this
subject.
Much of this material will overlap with the original material, however is will
demonstrate that there even more scholars that have the same understanding on
this subject.
My simple understanding is that I don't know "where" it is, but I don't want to
go there!
All of the posts will be archived on a web sire with a sufficient index for your
connivance.
More on Hell
1. Hell will be a place of unquenchable fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42;
Mark9:43
2. It will be a place of memory and remorse. Luke 16:19-31
3. It will be a place of thirst. Luke 16:24
4. It will be a place of misery and pain. Rev. 14:10, 11
5. It will be a place of frustration and anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51
6. It will be a place of separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15
7. It will be a place of undiluted divine wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10
8. It was originally prepared for Satan and his hosts. Matt. 25:41
9. It will be a place created for all eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46;
Jude 7
[1]
Willmington's Book of Bible Lists
Hell
Matthew 3:12 ...place of unquenchable fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42; ...
12 "His ?a?winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear
His threshing floor; and He will ?b?gather His wheat into the barn, but He
will burn up the ?c?chaff with ?d?unquenchable fire."
Matthew 13:41-42 ...fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42; Mark 9:43 ...
41 "?a?The Son of Man ?b?will send forth His angels, and they will gather
out of His kingdom ?1?all ?c?stumbling blocks, and those who commit
lawlessness,
42 and ?a?will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place ?b?there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mark 9:43 ...12; 13:41-42; Mark 9:43 2. It ...
43 "?a?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 ?1??b?hell, into
the ?c?unquenchable fire,
Luke 16:19-31 ...of memory and remorse. Luke 16:19-31 3. It will ...
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and
fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.
20 "And a poor man named Lazarus ?a?was laid at his gate, covered with
sores,
21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich
man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to
?a?Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 "In ?a?Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and ?*?saw
Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 "And he cried out and said, '?a?Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off
my tongue, for I am in agony in ?b?this flame.'
25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that ?a?during your life you
received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is
being comforted here, and you are in agony.
Luke 16:24 ...a place of thirst. Luke 16:24 4. It will ...
24 "And he cried out and said, '?a?Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off
my tongue, for I am in agony in ?b?this flame.'
Revelation 14:10-11 ...of misery and pain. Rev. 14:10, 11 5. It will ...
10 he also will drink of the ?a?wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed
?1?in full strength ?b?in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with
?c?fire and ?2?brimstone in the presence of the ?d?holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb.
11 "And the ?a?smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; ?b?they
have no rest day and night, those who ?c?worship the beast and his
?c?image, and ?1?whoever receives the ?d?mark of his name."
Matthew 13:42 ...of frustration and anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. ...
42 and ?a?will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place ?b?there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:51 ...anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. It will ...
51 and will ?1?cut him in pieces and ?2?assign him a place with the
hypocrites; in that place there will be ?a?weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 2:11 ...a place of separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 ...
11 '?a?He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. ?b?He who overcomes will not be hurt by the ?c?second death.'
Revelation 20:6 ...separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 7. It will ...
6 ?a?Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection;
over these the ?b?second death has no power, but they will be ?c?priests of
God and of Christ and will ?d?reign with Him for a thousand years.
Habakkuk 3:2 ...of undiluted divine wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 ...
2 Lord, I have ?a?heard ?1?the report about You and ?2?I ?b?fear.
O Lord, ?c?revive ?d?Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember ?3??e?mercy.
Revelation 14:10 ...wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 8. It ...
10 he also will drink of the ?a?wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed
?1?in full strength ?b?in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with
?c?fire and ?2?brimstone in the presence of the ?d?holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb.
Matthew 25:41 ...Satan and his hosts. Matt. 25:41 9. It will ...
41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, '?a?Depart from Me,
accursed ones, into the ?b?eternal fire which has been prepared for ?c?the
devil and his angels;
Daniel 12:2 ...created for all eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; ...
2 "?a?Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake,
?b?these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting
?1?contempt.
Matthew 25:46 ...eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7 ...
46 "These will go away into ?a?eternal punishment, but the righteous into
?b?eternal life."
Jude 1 ...2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7 ...
The Warnings of History to the Ungodly
1 ?1??a?Jude, a ?b?bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of
?2?James,
To ?c?those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and ?d?kept for
Jesus Christ:
HELL
Confused about eternal future, Job 10:19-22.
"Down to the pit," Job 33:24.
Depth of the earth, Psalm 63:9.
Enlarged capacity, Isaiah 5:14 (kjv).
Agreement with hell, Isaiah 28:18 (kjv).
Fires of Topheth, Isaiah 30:33.
"The world below," Ezekiel 32:19 (cev).
Broad road to hell, Matthew 7:13 (See gnb).
Fiery furnace, Matthew 13:37-42, 49-50.
Excluded from God's presence, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
Lake of fire, Revelation 19:19-21.
Those not in Book of Life, Revelation 20:7-15.
[2]
HELL
The Valley of Hinnom
A deep, narrow ravine south of Jebus (later Jerusalem) called the Valley of
Hinnom, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, was the boundary between the
territories of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 18:16). The location was unremarkable
in Joshua's day, but came to have great significance later in Israelite history.
In the period of the divided monarchy, this valley was the site of a pagan altar,
or "high place" (see Deut. 12:2), known as Tophet ("fireplace"). Parents
sacrificed their children there to the god Molech. The Bible singles out Ahaz and
Manasseh, kings of Judah, as having led the way in this grotesque ritual (2 Chr.
28:3; 33:6). But Scripture praises King Josiah for destroying this idolatrous altar
during his reforms (2 Kin. 23:10).
Jeremiah, who was called as a prophet during Josiah's reign, foretold that God
would judge the Israelites for committing the awful abomination of human
sacrifice, among other evils. The Lord would cause such destruction that the
Valley of Hinnom would become a cemetery known as the Valley of Slaughter
(Jer. 7:31-32; 19:1-6; 32:35).
This prophecy began to be fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Babylonians in 586 b.c. Later, the Valley of Hinnom became the city dump for
Jerusalem. Fires continually smouldered there, as the site was used as a burning
ground for refuse and the dead bodies of criminals and animals.
In time, the valley became so noxious that its name became a synonym for hell.
The Hebrew phrase ge ("valley of") hinnom eventually became the Greek
Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one time, Jewish tradition even
held that the entrance to hell began at that valley.
[3]
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
"The Gates of Hell"
Jesus referred to "the gates of Hades" (hell) in His bold statement to Peter
(Matt. 16:18). For Matthew's original readers, the word "gates" held special
significance.
Ancient cities erected walls to protect themselves from invaders. Here and there
along the walls they inserted massive gates to allow traffic in and out. In times of
trouble, they could close the gates against attacking armies or bandits.
City gates, then, tended to be thoroughfares through which communications and
commerce passed with frequency. Not surprisingly, bazaars and forums tended
to congregate around a city's gates, so that they became an important arena in a
town's public life. Goods were traded there and decision-makers gathered to
hear news and deliberate on events of the day. Such gates exist to this day in
some cities of the world.
Given this phenomenon, "gates" became a metaphor signifying the economic and
political life of a walled city. The influential and powerful did their business "in
the gates." For example, the husband of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is
"known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land" (Prov. 31:23).
Boaz, the intended husband of Ruth, went to the gate to buy a marriage license
(Ruth 4:1-12; also Deut. 25:7). War plans were devised and military treaties
signed in the gates (Judg. 5:8, 11). Kings sat in the gates to address their people
(2 Sam. 19:8). Even conspirators against kings hatched their plots and were
exposed in the gates (Esth. 2:19-23).
So when Jesus spoke of the gates of Hades, He was drawing on a powerful
image. Matthew's original readers would have seen it as a political metaphor,
the way we use the terms City Hall, the White House, or the Capitol today. For
them, the gates of Hades were not just a spiritual abstraction but actual forces of
evil at work among human systems-the Roman government, for instance.
While not evil in and of itself, first-century government was quickly becoming
corrupted and also anti-Christian.
Jesus was alluding to a spiritual warfare of cosmic proportions. His followers are
pitted against the powers of hell itself, which not only attack individual believers
but seek to corrupt institutions, enlisting them in their campaign against Christ.
Satan's guises can take many forms, as a look at any day's news will attest.
Fortunately, Jesus also promised that in the end the gates of Hades would not
succeed. That offers great hope to believers who live in difficult places and
contend for good against powerful entities that, in ways known and unknown,
are backed by spiritual forces of wickedness. In the midst of the fight Jesus has
declared: "I will build My church!"
[4]
What Does the Bible Say About
Other Tools
· Export Results to Verse List
Hell
Joshua 18:16 ...of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 18:16). The location ...
16 The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the ?a?valley
of Ben-hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward; and it went
down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and
went down to En-rogel.
Deuteronomy 12:2 ...or "high place" (see Deut. 12:2), known as Tophet ("...
2 "You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you
shall dispossess serve their gods, on the ?a?high mountains and on the hills
and under every green tree.
2 Chronicles 28:3 ...in this grotesque ritual (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). ...
3 Moreover, ?a?he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and
?b?burned his sons in fire, ?c?according to the abominations of the nations
whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:6 ...2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). But Scripture praises ...
6 ?a?He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom;
and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and ?b?dealt
with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord,
provoking Him to anger.
2 Kings 23:10 ...altar during his reforms (2 Kin. 23:10). Jeremiah, who ...
10 ?a?He also defiled ?1?Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of
Hinnom, ?b?that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the
fire for ?c?Molech.
Jeremiah 7:31-32 ...the Valley of Slaughter (Jer. 7:31-32; 19:...
31 "They have ?a?built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of
the son of Hinnom, to ?b?burn their sons and their daughters in the fire,
which I ?c?did not command, and it did not come into My ?1?mind.
32 "?a?Therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when it
will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the
valley of the Slaughter; for they will ?b?bury in Topheth ?1?because there is
no other place.
Jeremiah 19:1-6 ...Jer. 7:31-32; 19:1-6; 32:35). This ...
The Broken Jar
1 Thus says the Lord, "Go and buy a ?a?potter's earthenware ?b?jar, and
take some of the ?c?elders of the people and some of the ?1??d?senior
priests.
2 "Then go out to the ?a?valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance
of the potsherd gate, and ?b?proclaim there the words that I tell you,
3 and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O ?a?kings of Judah and
inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
"Behold I am about to bring a ?b?calamity upon this place, at which the
?c?ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle.
4 "Because they have ?a?forsaken Me and have ?b?made this an alien
place and have burned ?1?sacrifices in it to ?c?other gods, that neither they
nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because
they have filled this place with the ?d?blood of the innocent
5 and have built the ?a?high places of Baal to burn their ?b?sons in the fire
as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke
Jeremiah 32:35 ...32; 19:1-6; 32:35). This prophecy began ...
35 "They built the ?a?high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-
hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire | |
