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"I perceived how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue". -William Tyndale
Hell
Hell is cast into the lake of fire. There is no everlasting torment.
Let us break a few things down:
Before we get into it, here are some critical initial notes to keep in mind:
The Hebrew word Sheol means "the grave," not "hell”.
The Greek word Hades means "the grave," not "hell".
The Greek word Tartarus was a region within Hades, also not eternal and not meant for humans.
Gehenna is a physical place in Israel, in the Valley of Hinnom (a trash dump and where fires were maintained to burn waste).
Now let us revisit the scriptures:
Deu 32:22
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
2Sa 22:6
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Job 11:8
It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Job 26:6
Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 9:17
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 18:5
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 55:15
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 86:13
For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 116:3
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Psa 139:8
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 5:5
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 7:27
Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 9:18
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 15:11
Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 15:24
The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 23:14
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Pro 27:20
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Isa 5:14
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Isa 14:9
Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Isa 14:15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Isa 28:15
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Isa 28:18
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Isa 57:9
And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Eze 31:16
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Eze 31:17
They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Eze 32:21
The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Eze 32:27
And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Amo 9:2
Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Jon 2:2
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
Hab 2:5
Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
Original Hebrew: Sheol (shĕ'owl - שְׁאוֹל) [Grave]
So…. pause for just a second. EVERY single instance of “hell” in the Old Testament was incorrectly translated from “Sheol”, which is to mean — “grave”, or “place of death”. Let’s continue onto the New Testament:
Mat 5:22
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mat 5:29
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mat 5:30
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mat 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mat 11:23
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Mat 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Mat 18:9
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mat 23:15
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mat 23:33
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mar 9:43
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mar 9:45
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Mar 9:47
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Luk 10:15
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Luk 12:5
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
Luk 16:23
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Act 2:27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Act 2:31
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Jas 3:6
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Original Greek: Gehenna (geena - γέεννα) [Trash Dump]
2Pe 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Original Greek: Tartarus (tartaroō - ταρταρόω)[Region in Hades]
Rev 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Rev 6:8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Rev 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Rev 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Original Greek: Hades (hadēs - ᾅδης) [Grave]
Is “everlasting destruction” even a thing?
“EVERLASTING”: for those that cling to ETERNAL punishment based on some passages that refer to “eternal destruction” or “eternal punishment” (many times coupled with “hell” or “lake of fire”), I challenge you to look at the root words there as well. They are all coming from the Greek word Aeon (aiōn - αἰών) which correctly translates to “an age”, “a period”, or “an indefinite amount of time” —- NOT eternal.
Eternity in the bible by Gerry Beauchemin
Anchor Points to Peace by Gerry Beauchemin
Two primary reasons that I do not believe in hell as a lake of fire for eternal punishment:
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IT DOESN’T EXIST - The word/meaning of “hell” is not in the Bible; not anywhere. Furthermore, the passages cited for meaning “eternal punishment” have been grossly mistranslated.
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EARLY CHURCH - For the first 500 years of the church, there was no such belief, teaching or practice of “eternal hell”. Augustine forced this Grecian mythologically inspired belief into the church and it took over.
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