Chapter Four, Five, Six and Seven

From

UNCONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY

OR

RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

ISBN 0-7414-4620-0

William Robert West

Author of “The Rapture And Israel”

Chapter Four: The four occasions Christ used Gehenna THE VANISHING HELL - THE CHANGING HELL

1. Two Catholic versions of Hell

2. Some of the many divisions of the Protestant versions of Hell

1. The Calvin version of Hell

2. The Jonathan Edwards version

3. The Graphic view of Hell

4. Satan doing the tormenting

5. God doing the tormenting

6. The Metaphorical view of both Heaven and Hell

7. Mental Anguish - Billy Graham

8. Protestant Traditionalist

9. Protestant Premillennial versions

10. Rephaim version

3. After Judgment Hell, A newer version

4. Edward Fudge version: The short Hell

5. Christadelphians version

6. Church of God version and others

7. The Grave is Hell version [Jehovah's Witnesses]

8. Seventh-Day Advent version

9. Latter-day Saints version [Mormons]

Chapter Five: Sheol, Hades and Tartarus: Nether World, is this a new (third) Catholic version of Hell?

Chapter Six: The thirty-one passages where Hell is used in the King James Version

Chapter Seven: A strange and unexplainable silence. The reinterpreting of life, death, torment, destruction, destroy, perish, die, and end

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"Eternal Life With Torment In Hell"

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Is the wages of sin eternal life in Hell with torment?

William West

CHAPTER FOUR

FROM WHERE CAME HELL, FROM MAN OR GOD?

HOW DID A REAL EARTHLY VALLEY NEAR JERUSALEM

WHICH EXISTED IN THE TIME OF CHRIST

AND IS STILL TODAY CALLED BY THE NAME “GEHENNA”

BECOME A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT NAMED “HELL”

WHICH IS NOT ON THIS EARTH?

How was "the wages of sin is death" reinterpreted to be “the wages of sin is an eternal life of torment for an immoral soul that is not subject to death.”

Back to: INDEX AND CHAPTER ONE html – Or go to: INDEX AND ALL TEN CHAPTERS pdf

The word Hell in the King James Version is translated from four different words, three in the Greek New Testament [Gehenna, hades and Tartarus], and one in the Hebrew Old Testament [sheol].

Both sheol in the Old Testament, and hades in the New Testament mean grave, but are translated Hell in the King James Version, and Tartarus is translated Hell one time. Most other translations [American Standard Version, New American Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and others] translate only one word [Gehenna] into Hell, and only in the New Testament. Not four different words, which have different meanings. The word Hell is not in the Old Testament in any of the above translations or is not in most other translations. Although this valley is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, not even the King James Version translated it "Hell" as they did in the New Testament. Gehenna was a well-known valley south of Jerusalem long before it was made into a dump and it exists and has the name “Gehenna” to this day. Josiah might have made this valley into a rubbish dump [2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4]. This valley is in the Old Testament, called the valley of Hinnom, but is never translated Hell, even in the King James Version. In the time of Christ this valley was the city dump. Most newer translations, and most all Bible students, now admit sheol, hades, and Tartarus do not mean Hell; but some still believe Gehenna should be translated Hell, therefore, a detailed look at this valley and its use in both the Old and New Testament is necessary.

GEHENNA IS THE NAME OF A VALLEY SOUTH OF JERUSALEM. IT IS A REAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, which was used in the time of Christ as the city dump of Jerusalem. In the fifties I did some work at the dump of a city about the size of Jerusalem in the time of Christ. The refuse would be put in large piles and set on fire. All day rains, even 4 inches in one hour, could not put it out. There would have been no way for the people of Jerusalem to quench it (put out). The remains of animals were put in pits to be covered and worms (Greek, Maggots-Young, Page 1074) would get into them, and even after we put many gallons of spray in a pit, you could see the remains moving from the working of the maggots. Back in the fifties and before, cities did not have landfills; but had garbage dumps where they would put the garbage in piles and burn them. Big city garbage dumps were always burning night and day, and the smoke could sometimes be seen for miles. They were the same as Gehenna was in the time of Jesus, and were literally used for the destruction of the unwanted city garbage. Brimstone (sulfur) was added to keep the garbage burning in Gehenna, and it was always burning night and day, and those near by could see the smoke always rising. On some of the four occasions Christ used Gehenna as a metaphor those He was speaking to might have been able to see the smoke of Gehenna in the background while He was speaking. The people of Jerusalem did not have a trash pickup as we do, and had to take their own trash to Gehenna, therefore, most of those Christ was speaking to would be very familiar with the never-ending fires and worms for many would have taken their trash to it. Albert Barnes in his commentary on Matthew 5:22 says, "The extreme loathsomeness of the place, and filth and putrefaction, the corruption of the atmosphere, and the lurid fires blazing by day and by night, made it one of the most appalling and terrific objects with which a Jew was ever acquainted." Alexander Campbell says, "In the time of our Savior, it [Gehenna] was the place to which all the filth, and the dead bodies of animals and criminals from the city of Jerusalem, were conveyed. Here worms were ever reveling on the carcasses of the dead, and fires were ever kept burning to consume the noxious matter and to purge the air from its pestilential stench...This appears to be the only term in the Scriptures which favors the notion of confining hell to a local habitation" "Five Discourses On Hell" 1848. In the time of Jesus, Gehenna was used as a place of destruction; but there was no torment in it. Those who heard Jesus would understand the use of Gehenna as a symbol of destruction, but would not have been able to look at Gehenna, their city dump, and understand how it could be used as a symbol of a place of torment for there was no torment in their city dump. When most who use the King James Version, read Hell they never understand that Christ was speaking of the city dump, for they cannot from the King James Version. It was mistranslated to make the readers understand Christ to be speaking of a place where God is forever tormenting immortal souls.

A PROPER NOUN IS THE NAME OF "A PARTICULAR PERSON, PLACE, OR THING."

GEHENNA IS A PROPER NOUN, THE NAME OF A WELL-KNOWN PARTICULAR PLACE NEAR JERUSALEM. TO TRANSLATE IT INTO HELL, ANOTHER PROPER NOUN, THE NAME OF A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PARTICULAR PLACE, IS MORE THAN A BAD TRANSLATION. IT IS A DELIBERATE CHANGING. Bethlehem, Dead Sea, Gehenna, Rome, and Jericho are all proper nouns and should not be translated. Why is this the only name that is changed to another name? Proper nouns (names) are the same in most languages, and therefore, they are not translated; but Gehenna was changed, not translated, into Hell, another proper noun, the name of another particular place, just because the King James translators needed to. Hell is not a translation of Gehenna, in the same way that New York is not a translation of Jerusalem. Gehenna and Hell are two different proper names of two different places. From where did the King James translators get this name, and why did they want to deliberately mislead all who read their translation? This valley is used in the New Testament only when speaking to the Jews for it was not a locality that would be known to the Gentiles that did not live near Jerusalem. It was a local particular place and Gehenna would be a name known and used only to those who lived in or near Jerusalem. The names of the city dumps of most cities are not well known to any but those who live in or near that city, and those not from that city would not know or use it. Paul did not use it in any of his letters to those not at Jerusalem.

• Mistranslating Gehenna into Hell
• Is same as mistranslating New York into Jerusalem
• And the same as mistranslating Jericho into Florida

It was not translated into Hell in the Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament form Hebrew to Greek that was used in the time of Christ. "Hell" is not a translation but a deliberate changing of one place for another completely different place. I believe it was deliberately changed to put "Hell" in the Bible. A place has been made up that is not in the Bible; and a name given to it that is not in the Bible; if this is not adding to, what would it take to add to the Bible? That Christ used the name of a valley, which was the city dump, is completely hid from the reader of the King James Version, whether intentional or not; and they are led to believe He spoke of a different place, which has been named "Hell." The teachings of Christ have been deliberately changed. It was a geographical location on this Earth. Not somewhere under the earth or out in space. IT WAS A REAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION THAT EXISTED IN THE TIME OF CHRIST WHERE THE FIRES WERE CONSTANTLY KEPT BURNING SINCE IT SERVED AS AN INCINERATOR FOR THE USELESS REFUSE OF THE CITY. CHRIST USED IT AS A SYMBOL [an illustration] OF DESTRUCTION [Like the burning of the useless chaff of Luke 3:17]. GEHENNA CANNOT BE TRANSLATED OR REINTERPRETED INTO HELL. To say Gehenna, as used by Christ, is Hell; is to say it has no reference to the Gehenna [the city dump] near Jerusalem.

The Jews might have made the valley of Gehenna a dump because of their hatred of its misuse in Old Testament times, but the figures or symbols used by Christ [fire and maggots] came from its use in New Testament times, not its use in Old Testament times. THEY ARE SYMBOLS OF DESTRUCTION, NOT OF TORMENT. IN THE TIME OF CHRIST THERE WAS NO TORMENT, AND NO IDOL WORSHIPPED IN GEHENNA [the city dump]. HE WAS NOT ALLUDING TO IDOL WORSHIP OR TORMENT BUT TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THOSE WHO REJECTED HIM. Worms [maggots] do not eat living being, but dead ones, NOT TO TORMENT THEM, BUT TO CONSUME [eat up for food]. As long as there was something to burn or eat, the maggots would never die out, and the fire would not go out; but be consuming, not tormenting what was being cast in. In the time of Christ it was a place used to dispose of useless things, not to torment them. Many misuse this to show that living being will be tormented forever, and make God be doing the tormenting. LIVING VICTIMS WAS NOT PRESERVED ALIVE AND TORMENTED IN GEHENNA, BUT FIRE OR WORMS DEVOURED DEAD VICTIMS. TO MAKE IT A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT IS WITHOUT ANY BASIS WHATSOEVER.

Gehenna and the Lake of Fire are often thought to be the same metaphor by many. Gehenna is a place of destruction, and the lake of fire is a place where no life as we know it could exist; they are two different symbolic pictures [Revelation 20:14]. Neither one is a symbol of an eternal life of torment. Both picture the total destruction of whatever was thrown into them.

UNQUENCHABLE FIRE OF GEHENNA

IMMORTAL WORMS OF GEHENNA

"UNQUENCHABLE FIRE" AND "THEIR WORM DIES NOT" AS THEY ARE USED IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS: UTTER DESTRUCTION.

John the Baptist used "Unquenchable fire" on one occasion. He says Christ "will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will BURN UP with unquenchable fire" [Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17]. Will this unquenchable fire forever torment the chaff, which has been burned up? Adam Clarke says, "He will burn up the chaff that is, the disobedient and rebellious Jews, with unquenchable fire that cannot be extinguished by man." When firefighter cannot put out a burning building, they say it is an unquenchable fire. It will go out when there is nothing more to burn. An unquenchable fire is one that no man can put out, but it is not a fire that will burn forever. Ask any fireman what an unquenchable fire is.

And on one occasion by Christ of the burning of trash in the city dump in Mark 9:43-48 where He repeats it a second time (verses 43 and 48) in the American Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New International Version. "Unquenchable fire" is repeated five times in Mark 6:43, 44, 45, 46 and 48 in the King James Version. BOTH the chaff and trash are utterly destroyed by burning to get rid of something unwanted. The chaff or the trash was not tormented. Like Gehenna, unquenchable fire is not used in the rest of the New Testament. Never used by Paul, Peter, John, etc.

Christ used the "worm that dies not" only on one occasion [Mark 9:44-48; Repeated three times in verses 44, 46 and 48 in the King James Version but only one time in verse 48 in the American Standard Version]. He used both the maggots and the fire of Gehenna as a symbol of total destruction, not to show that God will forever torment most of mankind. If this is not figurative language, will there be immortal maggots in Hell? Can earthly maggots eat an immortal soul in "Hell?" Even most who believes in "Hell" make the maggots figurative, not real maggots in Hell, but make the "fire" be literal fire.

If Gehenna's "unquenchable fire" and "their worm dies not" are a description of the endless punishment of the wicked in "Hell," the silence of the New Testament writers would be unexplainable. (1) Acts, a history of the preaching and church for about thirty years does not mention Gehenna, unquenchable fire, or immortal maggots. (2) In none of Paul's fourteen letters, he never mentioned any of them. (3) Peter, John, James, and Jude are also as silent as Paul. (4) Neither can they be found in the Book of Revelation.

[1] The one time Christ used "unquenchable fire" in Mark 9:48, He was quoting from Isaiah 66:24. TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORDS, THEY MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN THE WAY THE OLD TESTAMENT USED THEM, just as much of Revelation is to be understood by the way the same symbols are used in the Old Testament. UNQUENCHABLE FIRE” WAS A WELL-KNOWN EXPRESSION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE HEARING CHRIST. "And the strong man will become tinder, his work also a spark, thus, they shall both burn together, and there will be none to quench them" [Isaiah 1: 31]. Jeremiah warned Jerusalem of the consequence of their sins, "Then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched" [Jeremiah 17:27]. His warning was fulfilled in 2 Chronicles 36:19-21. Jerusalem was destroyed with an "unquenchable fire." It consumed all, and was not quenched unto it went out when there was nothing more to consume; then the unquenchable fire went out. Jerusalem is not burning today. An unquenchable fire is not an eternal fire, but one that cannot be put out unto there is nothing to burn. Those who believe in Hell change "unquenchable" into "eternal" then move the unquenchable fire that destroyed Jerusalem from Jerusalem on this earth and put this "eternal fire" in their "Hell" which they say is not on this earth. First, they must change the fire and second; they must move it from Jerusalem to "Hell." Isaiah says, " For behold, the Lord will come in fire and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with the flames of fire. For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many...Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses [dead bodies in American Standard Version] of the men who have transgressed against me. For their [the corpses] worm shall not die, and their [the corpses] fire shall not be quenched; and they [the corpses] shall be an abhorrence to all mankind" [Isaiah 66:15-24]. The worms consumed the corpses, and the fires were not quenched, unto there was no more flesh to consume or burn. IT WAS CORPSES, DEAD BODIES WHICH WERE ON THE EARTH THAT WERE BEING CONSUMED BY THE UNQUENCHABLE FIRE AND UNDYING MAGGOTS, “THOSE SLAIN BY THE LORD” (ISAIAH 66:16), NOT IMMORTAL SOULS IN HELL THAT CANNOT BE SLAIN SCREAMING IN ANGUISH AND PAIN; ISAIAH 66:16; 66:24 DESCRIBES THE AFTERMATH OF A BATTLE WITH THE DEAD UNBURIED. THOSE PEOPLE BACK IN THE TIME OF ISAIAH DID NOT LOOK FROM HEAVEN DOWN INTO HELL AND SEE LIVING SOULS BEING EATEN BY MAGGOTS. IT WAS THE LIVING PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH IN THE TIME OF ISAIAH THAT WENT OUT TO THE BATTTLE FIELD AND SAW REAL DEAD BODIES ON THIS EARTH BEING EATEN AND BURNED, NOT IMMORTAL SOULS IN HEAVEN THAT "SHALL GO FORTH AND LOOK ON THE CORPSES" AND SEE LIVING SOULS THAT ARE THAT ARE BEING TORMENTED IN HELL AS WORMS AND FIRE ARE CONSUMING THEM. HOW CAN FIRE OR WORMS ETERNALLY TORMENT A DEAD BODY? It is the fire that is unquenchable and the maggots that do not die, not the corpses that were being burnt up or eaten, there is nothing said about them being alive and in torment, but today’s theology says there are both alive in being forever tormented by fire. There is not even a hint that the corpses were aware of anything. For this to prove the soul is immortal they would have to be viewing disembodied immortal souls that had been "slain by the Lord" [Isaiah 66:16] but were still living after the Lord had slain them, not viewing dead bodies that were on this earth. It was living people viewing dead bodies that had been "slain by the Lord," not living people on this earth looking into Hell and seeing an immaterial, invisible part of a living person being tormented in Hell. WITHOUT DOUBT, THIS WAS A JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT ON THIS EARTH THAT HAS ENDED, NOT A PUNISHMENT IN HELL THAT WILL NEVER END.

· There is no mention of torment. The ungodly had been killed; it says nothing about the Lord TORMENTING them.

· There is no mention of immortal souls that are being eaten by maggots and being consumed by fire. The witness sees the RESULT OF THIS DESTRUCTION (slaying). They see the CORPSES, DEAD BODIES being consumed by fire and maggots, not a living immaterial, invisible part of a person.

· They do not see them in pain and anguish, not in endless tortured for the corpses they see are dead and are on this earth, not in Hell.

[2] "Therefore thus says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, mine anger and my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, upon man and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched" [Jeremiah 7:20].

[3] Ezekiel also speaks of the destruction of Judah using the imagery of a forest burning. "And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop your word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest to the field in the South; and say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Jehovah: Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall consume every green tree in you, and it shall devour ever green tree in you, and ever dry tree; the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby. And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched" [Ezekiel 20:47-48].

Adam Clarke: "The forest of the south field is the city of Jerusalem; which was as full of inhabitants as the forest is of trees. I will kindle a fire, i. e., I will send war; and it shall devour ever green tree, i. e., the most eminent and substantial of the inhabitants; and every dry tree, i. e., the lowest and meanest also; it shall not be quenched, i. e., till the land be utterly ruined."

The “unquenchable fire” was God using Babylonian to destroy Israel (Ezekiel 21:19; Nehemiah 1:3). God’s judgment on Israel was unquenchable, no one could stop it, but it ended when Israel was destroyed.

[4] Isaiah describes the desolation of Edom, "For my sword has drunk its fill in heaven; behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment...For Jehovah has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land there of shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night or day; and the smoke thereof shall go up forever; from generation to generation it shall lay waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever. But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it; and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein" [Isaiah 34:6-15]. If this fire that "shall not be quenched night nor day" is the Hell that is taught today, how is it that "none shall pass through it forever and ever," is their no one that shall be in Hell but pelican, porcupine, owl, and ravens? This is clearly an earthly judgment on Edom that has long passed, not an unquenchable fire in Hell after the judgment day. After the unquenchable fire had done it’s work it went out and the land became a desert inhabited by pelicans, porcupines, owls and ravens.

[5] For more examples of God's judgments in this world being spoken of as an unquenchable fire see Isaiah 1:31; Jeremiah 17:27; 21:12; Amos 5:6; 2 Kings 22:26-17; 2 Chronicles 34:24-25.

THESE PASSAGES SHOW THAT THE WRITERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT USED "UNQUENCHABLE FIRE" AS A FIGURE OF A JUDGMENT BY WAR AND FAMINE ON ISRAEL WHEN THEY SINNED AND ON WICKED NATIONS. When Jesus was speaking of the fire and worms of Gehenna, he was giving a description of the finality of the destruction of Israel who rejected Him, which His audience would understand. Those hearing Christ would understand how unquenchable fire and undying worms were used in the Old Testament and therefore would understand His use of them. They would have known that Gehenna that He was speaking of was a foul place of destruction where worthless things were disposed of, and would have known He was saying the destruction He was speaking of would be like the destruction of the garbage in Gehenna, like the destruction of Jerusalem by unquenchable fire and maggots in the Old Testament. They knew they were being threatened with complete destruction just as the trash in the city dump. Jerusalem was destroyed and burnt, and historian's say in AD 70 many dead bodies were burned and many were left unburied for the maggots. "And the strong man will become tinder, his work also a spark, thus, they shall both burn together, and there will be none to quench them" [Isaiah 1:31].

Summary: The worm that dies not, and the unquenchable fire, as used in the Old Testament and by Christ, proves UTTER DESTRUCTION, not everlasting torment. GEHENNA IS BELIEVED BY THOSE WHO TEACH EVERLASTING TORMENT TO BE THEIR STRONG HOLD, BUT THE SYMBOLS OF MAGGOTS EATING DEAD BODIES ON THIS EARTH, AND FIRE CONSUMING UNWANTED TRASH ["dead bodies" Isaiah 66:24] ARE SYMBOLS OF DESTRUCTION, NOT SYMBOLS OF TORMENT. MANY THINK THIS IS THE STRONGEST PROOF OF EVERLASTING TORMENT IN THE BIBLE, BUT IT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND. IT IS A STRONG PROOF THAT THE LOST WILL BE EVERLASTING DESTROYED. IT DOES NOT PROVE THAT A SADISTIC GOD WILL FOREVER TORMENT ANYONE.

THE OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY OF GEHENNA

Gehenna was first mentioned in Joshua 15:8; 18:16, although it was never called "Gehenna" in the Old Testament. Ahaz "burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire" [2 Chronicles 28:3; 2 Kings 16:3]. Manasseh also burnt his children in the fire in this valley [2 Chronicles 33:6].

Jeremiah 7:31-32 Children of Judah burned their sons and daughters in the fire in this valley, and Jehovah said, "And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into My mind. It shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place to bury. And the dead bodies of this people shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall frighten them away." [Note: Those who teach "Hell fire" are saying to God, "O yes it came into Your mind. You have said You are going to burn most of Your children in a fire much hotter than the fire in which they burnt their children."]

Jeremiah 19:1-15 "Thus says the Lord, Go and buy a potter's earthenware jar, and take some to the elders of the people and some of the senior priests. Then go out to the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the potsherd gate; and proclaim there the words that I shall tell you, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to 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 blood of the innocent and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded nor spoke of, nor did it enter My mind; therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter. And I shall make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I shall cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I shall give over their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beast of the earth. I shall also make this city a desolation and an object of hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of the disasters. And I shall make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them. Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you and say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Just so shall I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter's vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial. This is how I shall treat this place and its inhabitants, declares the Lord so as to make this city like Topheth. And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the houses on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly host and poured out libations to other gods. Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord has sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people; thus says the Lord of host, the God of Israel, Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words." Jeremiah used the valley of Gehenna to warn Israel of their destruction as a nation. Christ also used the valley of Gehenna to warn Israel of their destruction as a nation.

Many believe the 185,000 Assyrians [Isaiah 37:36] were killed by the angel of the Lord in this valley when they were laying siege to Jerusalem. They were killed near Jerusalem and it could have been in this valley, but I can find no sure proof that it was. See Isaiah 30:31-33.

Josiah "defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech" [2 Kings 23:10]. This may be when it became the trash dump that it is in the New Testament.

It is also mentioned in Nehemiah 11:30; Jeremiah 19:2: Because of their worshiping other gods in it, God made it a place of destruction and death, not torment. Topheth [Gehenna in the New Testament] literally means a place of burning, and a place of death, "The valley of slaughter" [Jeremiah 7:31].

EVERY REFERENCE TO GEHENNA IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS TO A PLACE ON THIS EARTH. NOT ONE OF THEM SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT ETERNAL TORMENT AFTER THE JUDGMENT. It is admitted by all that Gehenna in the Old Testament was not a place of eternal torment, and it was not changed to "Hell" in any Old Testament passage, not even in the King James Version which is sometimes called "Hell's Bible."

Henry Thayer: "Gehenna, the name of a valley on the S. and E. of Jerusalem...The Jews so abolished the place after these horrible sacrifices had been abolished by king Josiah (2 k.xxiii, 10) that they cast into it not only all manner of refuses, but even the dead bodies of animals and unburied criminals who had been executed. And since fires were always needed to consume the dead bodies, that the air might not become tainted by the putrefaction, it came to pass that the place was called (Gehenna)." "A Greek-English Lexicon Of the New Testament" Page 111. He also says in "Theology" "Our inquiry shows that it is employed in the Old Testament in its literal or geographical sense only, as the name of the valley lying on the south of Jerusalem-that the Septuagint proves it retained this meaning as late as B. C. 150-that it is not found at all in the Apocrypha; neither of Philo, nor in Josephus, whose writings cover the very times of the Savior and the New Testament, thus leaving us without a single example of contemporary usage to determine its meaning at this period-that from A. D. 150-159, we find in two Greek authors, Justin and Clement of Alexandria, the first resident in Italy and the last in Egypt that Gehenna began to be used to designate a place of punishment after death, but not endless punishment since Clement was a believer in universal restoration-that the first time we find Gehenna used in this sense in any Jewish writing is near the beginning of the third century, in the Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, two hundred years too late to be of any service in the argument-and lastly, that the New Testament usage shows that while it had not wholly lost its literal sense, it was also employed in the time of Christ as a symbol of moral corruption and wickedness; BUT MORE ESPECIALLY AS A FIGURE OF THE TERRIBLE JUDGMENTS OF GOD ON THE REBELLIOUS AND SINFUL NATION OF THE JEWS" Henry Thayer, "Theology."

Canon Farrar: "In the Old Testament it is merely the pleasant valley of Hinnom (GeHinnom), subsequently desecrated by idolatry, and especially by Moloch worship, and defiled by Josiah on this account. (See 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:10; Jer 7:31; 19:10-14; Isa. 30:33; Tophet). Used according to Jewish tradition, as the common sewage of the city, the corpses of the worst criminals were flung into it unburied, and fires were lit to purify the contaminated air. It then became a word which secondarily implied (1) the severest judgment which a Jewish court could pass upon a criminal-the casting forth of his unburied corpse amid the fire and worms of this polluted valley; and (2) a punishment-which to the Jews a body never meant an end-less punishment beyond the grave. WHATEVER MAY BE THE MEANING OF THE ENTIRE PASSAGES IN WHICH THE WORD OCCURS, 'HELL' MUST BE A COMPLETE MISTRANSLATION, SINCE IT ATTRIBUTES TO THE TERM USED BY CHRIST A SENSE ENTIRELY DIFFERENTLY FROM THAT IN WHICH IT WAS UNDERSTOOD BY OUR LORD'S HEARERS, AND THEREFORE, ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM THE SENSE IN WHICH HE COULD HAVE USED IT." From the preface to "Eternal Hope."

"Gehenna, the Greek word translated hell in the common version, occurs twelve times. It is the Grecian mode of spelling the Hebrew words, which are translated, 'The Valley of Hinnom.' This valley was also called Tophet, a detestation, an abomination. Into this place were cast all kinds of filth, with the carcasses of beasts and unburied bodies of criminals, who had been executed. Continual fires were kept to consume these. Sennacherib's army of 185,000 men was slain there in one night. Here, children were burnt to death in sacrifice to Moloch. GEHENNA, THEN, AS OCCURRING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, SYMBOLIZES DEATH AND UTTER DESTRUCTION, BUT IN NO PLACE SYMBOLIZES A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT" From the Emphatic Diaglot.

George Lemasters says Gehenna is said to have been a receptacle of bones, bodies of beasts and criminals, and all unclean things. Page 265, Florida College Annual Lectures, 1975.

Ron Halbrook says Gehenna became a common refuse dump for the dead bodies of criminals, animal carcasses, and other kind of filth. Page 123, Florida College Annual Lectures 1986.

WHATEVER WAS CAST INTO GEHENNA [the city dump], IF IT WERE TRASH OR THE BODIES OF CRIMINALS WERE CAST INTO THE TRASH DUMP TO BE DESTROYED AND BOTH WERE DESTROYED, NOT TORMENTED. Trash or dead bodies cannot be tormented. Whatever was cast into Gehenna was soon consumed. God is a consuming fire [Hebrews 12:29]. THE FATE OF THE WICKED IS COMPARED TO TRASH AND DEAD BODIES THAT WERE CAST INTO THE CITY DUMP TO BE DISPOSED OF.

THE USE OF GEHENNA BY CHRIST

Gehenna was used on four occasions by Christ, and was used one time by James, the brother of the Lord [James 3:6]. The name Gehenna is in the four gospels eleven times but as the four gospels repeat the same discourses, Jesus did not really use it more than six or seven times and these were all used in only four occasions (four sermons).

• FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. "Shall be in danger of Gehenna...your whole body be cast into Gehenna...and not your whole body go into Gehenna" Matthew 5:22, 29, 30.
• SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES. "Fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna" Matthew 10:28. "Fear him, who after he has killed has power to cast into Gehenna" Luke 12:5.
• THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES. "Rather than having two eyes to be cast into Gehenna" Matthew 18:9. Also in the parallel account in Mark 9:43, 45, 47.
• FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. "You make him twofold more a son of Gehenna than yourselves...How shall you escape the judgment of Gehenna" Matthew 23:15, 33.
• AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES. "The tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna" James 3:6.

Both Christ and James used the name of the city dump [Gehenna]. When James wrote this neither the English word “Hell”, nor a Greek word for "Hell" did not exist. Even in Old English, Hell did not have the meaning it has today. The name Gehenna is in the four gospels eleven times, but as the four gospels repeat the same discourses, Jesus did not really use it more than six or seven times and these were all used on only four occasions.

THE FIRST OCCASION

IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Gehenna is used 3 times in Matthew 5. Christ is teaching His disciples, who at that time were under the Law.

THE FIVE "YOU HAVE HEARD" Five things the disciples had heard that the Law said.

[1] THE FIRST "YOU HAVE HEARD" Matthew 5:21-26 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be guilty before the Supreme Court; and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell [Greek-Gehenna of fire]" New American Standard Bible. Gehenna, the city dump of Jerusalem was always burning, day and night, 24/7.

The three crimes that were judged by the courts: All three have to do with the way they felt toward their brother. "Murder shall be liable to the court: but I say to you everyone who is,"

1. Everyone who is "Angry with his brother" guilty before the court (New American Standard Version): A judgment under the Old Testament Law. "Not the final judgment of the world, but the tribunal established by the Law of Moses in each city for the trial of murders and other criminals. [See Deut. xvi. 18.] Every man slayer was tried before this tribunal, and either put to death or confined in the city of refuge." J. W. McGarvey, The New Testament Commentary, Page 53, The Standard Publishing Company, 1875.

2. Whoever "Shall say to his brother, 'Raca'" guilty before the Supreme Court (New American Standard Version): A judgment under the Old Testament Law. "An epithet of contempt; 'empty head'" B. W. Johnson, The People's New Testament, Gospel Light Publishing, 1889. "The council mentioned is the supreme court provided for by the Law of Moses [Deut. xvii. 8-13], and represented in the days of Jesus by the Sanhedrim." J. W. McGarvey, The New Testament Commentary, Page 54, 1875.

3. Whoever "Shall say, 'You fool'" guilty enough to go into the fiery Gehenna: This, like the first two is a Jewish judgment where the bodies of criminals that were thought to be unworthy of a burial were cast into the city dump to be burned. To whom will they say, "you fool"? Could it be anyone other than "his brother" just as the first two were? Could the difference in the sinfulness of saying to your brother "race" [empty headed] and saying to him "you fool" be enough to jump from a judgment of the Jewish court to the judgment of God at the coming of Christ? How could anyone know Christ changed from judgments under the Law to a judgment at the resurrection when there is no indication that He changed? According to the teaching of some, a person can be angry with his brother and have contempt for him and not go to Hell, but if you say, "You fool" to your brother, them you will go to Hell.

"You have heard" is this lesson on how to avoid the courts and is still a part of the first "You have heard."

• "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, AND YOU ARE CAST INTO PRISON. Verily I say unto you, you shall by no means come out TILL you have paid the last farthing" [Matthew 5:25-26]. "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law" New American Standard Version. WHEN IT IS PAID, THEN THE PERSON IN PRISON SHALL COME OUT. This is speaking of a judgment and punishment under the Law, not at the resurrection.
• Who is to agree with whom? It is the person charged who is to "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law" that charged him, "while you are with him in the way" [in the way to the judge].
• What will happen if there is not an agreement? "Lest haply the adversary (opponent at law) deliver you to the judge, and the judge delivers you to the officer, and you are cast into prison." Does this sound to you like the judgment at the last day and being cast into "Hell," or does this sound like an earthly opponent at law, judge, officer and prison?
• How long will the person who is cast into prison be in the prison? "You shall by no means come out thence, TILL you have paid the last farthing." WHEN the debt for which the person was cast into prison is paid, THEN he will come out. Those who believe in Hell tell us no one will ever come out. If this were speaking of punishment after the judgment, then a limited punishment, which would end when the last farthing was paid would be taught, not an eternal Hell." [Matthew 5:26-27].
• That this use of "Gehenna" is taken completely out of the context of earthly courts and law by today's theology is beyond any doubt. This is speaking of a judgment and punishment under the Law, not at the resurrection.
• To teach "Hell' from this passage, Christ must be made to jump from judgments and punishments under the Law of Moses in verse 21-22 to the judgment and punishment at His coming in last part of verse 22 and then back to judgment and punishment under the Law in verse 25-26 without anything to show He was speaking of a different judgment and punishments. A part of one verse must be taken out of context, and then changed from Gehenna to Hell.

[2] THE SECOND "YOU HAVE HEARD" that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'" Matthew 5:27-30 "And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not your whole body be cast into hell [Greek - Gehenna]. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not your whole body go into hell [Greek - Gehenna]."

Christ is teaching them that if there is a danger that they may look on a woman to lust after her, if their eye causes them to stumble, cut it out and cast it away. If taken literal this would have been unlawful by the Old Testament Law they were under. The lesson to them was that they were to remove anything from their lives, which would cause them to be judged unworthy to be buried, and their bodies to be cast into Gehenna. Under the Law adultery was death and could therefore cause their bodies to be cast to the fire and maggots in Gehenna [Leviticus 20:10-16]. The lesson to them and to us is that if something in our life that would cause us to be lost, even if it is as dear to us as our eye or hand, it needs to be cut off unless the whole body be destroyed, the removal of anything in our life that would cause us to be destroyed by God as worthless trash which was destroyed in Gehenna. Christ was saying to them anything in their life; adultery or any other sin that would cause them to perish needed to be removed. THOSE THAT USE THIS TO PROVE HELL DO NOT BELIEVE THAT TO "CUT OFF" ANY PART OF THE BODY OF A LIVING PERSON WILL KEEP THAT PERSON OUT OF HELL AFTER DEATH. TO MANY, THE HAND AND THE EYE ARE A LITERAL HAND OR EYE, BUT "THE WHOLE BODY" IS NOT A "BODY" AT ALL BUT A FORMLESS, NO SUBSTANCE, INVISIBLE PART OF A PERSON THAT HAS NO BODY.

The loss of a hand or eye is contrasted with the whole body [of which the hand was a part] being cast into Gehenna; not the loss of a hand being contrasted with the soul [of which the hand was NOT a part] being cast into Hell. The "eye" and the "right hand" are a part of the "whole body." No one can cut off the hand of a soul which they say has no substance and Christ does not change from parts of the earthly body to something that most who believe in "it" says "it" has no body. No one that I know of who believes "Hell" is an eternal place of torment believes the human body or any part of it will be eternally tormented in that eternal place. In the same sentence, did Christ change from a literal physical hand to a "soul"? IF THE "WHOLE BODY" IS A FORMLESS NO SUBSTANCE SOUL, THEN THE "HAND," WHICH WAS CUT OFF THIS BODY IS A PART OF THE "WHOLE BODY," AND WOULD ALSO BE A FORMLESS NO SUBSTANCE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD NOT CUT OFF AND IF WE COULD, THEN THE CUT OFF HAND OF AN IMMORTAL SOUL WOULD BE AS IMMORTAL AS THE REST OF THE NO SUBSTANCE FORMLESS SOUL FROM WHICH IT WAS CUT OFF. IN TODAY'S THEOLOGY NO ONE BELIEVES YOU CAN CUT OFF THE HAND OF A SPIRIT SO THAT THE REST OF THE SPIRIT WILL NOT GO TO HELL. The "whole body" is not a spirit that will go to Hell [Gehenna], but it may not go to Hell if the hand of the soul or spirit had been cut off. It is the hand that is a part of this earthly body that is to be cut off that the whole earthly body would not be cast into a real earthy valley. Today this has been changed to an invisible immortal hand that cannot die, but it is to be cut off an immortal soul that cannot die because if it is not cut off the soul that cannot die will be cast into a place of torment that is not on this earth. I have never heard anyone say what he or she thinks will happen to the cut off immortal hand that cannot die. No one that I know of believes the "soul" shall "enter into life," which he or she says is Heaven, with a cut off hand of that soul in Hell. The "soul" in Heaven but its "hand" in Hell! They don't believe that a disfigurement of the body, whether it is a self inflicted disfigurement or any other disfigurement, will be passed onto the immaterial, invisible part of a person in Heaven. Neither do they believe any person has the power to cut of any part of his soul. Most that believe in "Hell" make this cutting off the hand be figurative language meaning to remove anything from our lives that will cause us to sin, but they want to make just one word in the sentence be literal. They must first mistranslate "Gehenna" into "Hell" and then make just this one word out of context and be literal. Gehenna must be changed to Hell and made literal, but the cutting off the hand cannot be literal.

• "Though his followers were called to suffer the loss of all things; though the hand of persecution might be raised against kindred and friends, yet, better to enter into life thus maimed, than to cling to those friends and share with them the judgments of God, figuratively represented by Gehenna fire. Jesus required his disciples to forsake all for him. He said: 'Whoso loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me.' Those who loved ease and fame and popularity more than him and his unpopular cause were not worthy of him. As though Jesus has said: 'In embracing my cause, now unpopular, now scorned and rejected by the world, the chief priests and rulers, you may be called upon to part with something dear to you as a member of your body; some dear friend may turn coldly from you and forsake you; it may be like severing a limb from the body; like cutting off a hand, or plucking out an eye; yet, better to enter into life thus maimed; better to cherish the hope of everlasting life at this great sacrifice, than to reject the truth, and remain in a state of unbelief and moral blindness'" D. P. Livermore, "Endless Punishment" Page 49, 1864.

"Destroy" must be made to mean, "preserve." God's word says He will destroy the soul, but many change this and make it say God will preserve the soul forever. There seems to be no end to the changes they are willing to make. "Destroy the body and soul" must be changed to "preserve the soul but destroy the body."

A dead body part or a whole dead body being cast into the city dump [Gehenna] to be destroyed by fire or worms is not a picture of a living immortal soul being tormented forever. There is no suggestion of eternal torment in this. THERE IS NOTHING, NOT ONE WORD ABOUT AN IMMORTAL SOUL OR AN IMMORTAL SPIRIT IN THIS PASSAGE. It was their "whole body" that would be cast into Gehenna, not just an immaterial, invisible part of a person that will be cast into "Hell." INSTEAD OF SAYING THAT IMMORTAL SOULS WILL BURN FOREVER IN GEHENNA IT SAYS BOTH THE BODY AND THE SOUL WILL BE DESTROYED IN GEHENNA. Nothing is said about an immaterial part of a person in Matthew 5:22, 29 or 30. "Soul" is not in Matthew 5. IT IS NOT PREACHED TODAY THAT THE BODY WILL BE CAST INTO GEHENNA BUT THAT THE "SOUL" WILL BE CAST INTO "HELL." THIS PASSAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST USED PASSAGE TO PROVE A PERSON HAS IN IMMATERIAL PART THAT WILL BE IN AN ETERNAL PLACE OF TORMENT, BUT NEITHER (1) A IMMATERIAL PART OF A PERSON (2) OR A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT IS IN IT. EVERYTHING THAT CHRIST SAID IS CHANGED AND THAT BY THOSE THAT SAY THEY DO NOT CHANGE THE BIBLE.

[3] The third "You have heard" "You shall not forswear yourself" [Matthew 5:33].

[4] The fourth "You have heard" An eye for an eye [Matthew 5:38].

[5] The fifth "You have heard" Love your neighbor [Matthew 5:43].

All five of the "you have heard" are about things in the Old Testament Law, not about things in the life after the judgment.

THE SECOND OCCASION

IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

"FEAR HIM, WHO AFTER HE HAS KILLED HAS POWER TO CAST INTO GEHENNA" Luke 12:4-5; GOD IS ABLE TO DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA Matthew 10:28. This was spoken to the twelve apostles when they were sent forth to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" [Matthew 10:1-28]. He was persecuted, and they would be, but they were to "Fear them not." "But I will warn you whom you shall fear: fear him, who AFTER HE HAS KILLED has power to cast into Gehenna" [Luke 12:4-5]. "AFTER HE HAS KILLED" must be changed to "ALIVE BUT SEPARATED FROM GOD" to fit today's teaching for an immortal soul cannot be killed and this passage must be made to teach an immortal soul that cannot be killed is alive and tormented in "Hell." After all, they cannot have God killing an immortal soul before He cast it into "Hell" could they?

Man can destroy the life we now have, but God alone is able to destroy [Apollumi] both soul [life-psukee] and body in Gehenna "AFTER HE HAS KILLED." To prove Hell, many have this earthly body tormented in Hell after the Judgment Day. If both the body and soul are destroyed in Gehenna proves an immortal "immaterial, invisible part of man" [W. E. Vine] that cannot die will be tormented in Hell, then it also proves the earthy body will be tormented in Hell. IF THE "IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF MAN" CANNOT DIE BECAUSE IT IS IMMORTAL FROM BIRTH, GOD COULD DO NO MORE THAN A MAN. HE COULD ONLY DESTROY [KILL] THE BODY, BUT NOT THE IMMORTAL "IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF MAN" THAT CANNOT DIE AND CANNOT BE DESTROYED. Was Jesus telling the twelve apostles not to fear God? He is if the soul [psukee] is immortal from birth and cannot be killed. Does it mean what it says, or does "destroy," mean to "torment forever," as today's theology interprets and demands? If it were as is taught today that destroy means torment, and Gehenna means Hell, then they have God tormenting both this body of flesh and the "soul" in Hell forever, which is more than they want it to say, but when they change Gehenna to "Hell," this passage teaches something that even those who make the change do not believe. Will this earthly body be in "Hell" and be immortal? If it is to be tormented forever in "Hell," then the earthly body is as immortal as the soul is. When a person has killed the body, he can do no more. At the worse, a person can only take a few years of life from you, but there will be a resurrection and God can take an eternity of life from you.

God has the power to kill, or the power to torment (if He was that kind of a God, a fiendish and sadistic God); but we must look to the Bible to know what He will do and not look to theology. A man can only take this life from you, then can do no more, and most of the twelve Christ was speaking to were soon killed by men who could do no more, but there will be a resurrection of all they kill. God can DESTROY this life, and then DESTROY the resurrected life after the judgment. There is a second death for those not in Christ.

Apollumi is used 95 times in the New Testament. In the King James Version it is life and things that is destroyed (apollumi) 94 times; Matthew 10:28 is the only time it is the soul that is destroyed (apollumi). The other 94 times it is body that is destroyed (the end of life of the body) or things (such as bottles Matthew 9:27 - meat John 6:27 – gold 1 Peter 1:7 - etc.) that are destroyed in the King James Version. It is translated destroy, destroyed, perish, lose, lost, and die. Matthew 10:28 is the only time it is used of the soul and it says God is able to kill [apollumi] the soul just as the body is killed in the other passages. Those who believe the soul cannot die must deny the plain statement made by Christ.

• In the Greek it is not "soul" but "psukee" (life) that God can and will destroy
• The saved will never perish (apollumi) [John 10:28].
• The lost will perish (apollumi) [1 Corinthians 1:18].
• Anyone can perish (apollumi) by drowning [Mark 4:38; Matthew 8:25]. When apollumi is applied to persons whether in this life or at the judgment it is life that is destroyed, not tormented forever.

Men did kill the bodies of many disciples Christ give this warning to them, but this has no effect on their or their ultimate existence. Death is but a brief sleep, which will be as if it were only a moment from death unto the resurrection. [Deuteronomy 31:16; 2 Samuel 7:12; 1 Kings 1:21; Job 7:21; 14:12; Psalms 13:31 Jeremiah 51:39, 57; 1 Kings 2:10; 11:21, 43; 14:20, 31; 15:8, 24; 16:6, 28; 22:40, 50; 2 Kings 8:24; 10:35; 13:9, 13; 14:16, 22, 29; 15:7, 22, 38; 16:20; 20:21; 21:18; 24:6; 2 Chronicles 9:31; 12:16; 14:1; 16:13; 21:1; 26:2, 23; 27:9; 28:27; 32:33; 33:20; Job 3:13; Isaiah 26:19; Matthew 9:24; 25:5; 27:52; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52; John 11:11-14; Acts 7:60; 13:36; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 5:10; 2 Peter 3:4]. There will be a resurrection, and in the ultimate eternal sense, man cannot kill the soul-life [psukee]. God can destroy and make our memory to perish [Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; Ecclesiastes 9:4-6; Psalms 31:12; 88:5; Isaiah 26:14; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:5; Romans 6:23]. If death does not indicate unconsciousness, then the analogy of sleep, which is used throughout the Bible, is meaningless for the dead are not asleep. It is more than just meaningless, being asleep when they are awake in Heaven or Hell would be an outright lie that is repeated frequently.

The second death is never called a sleep because there will be no waking up or resurrection from it.

Many believe that the destroying spoken of in Matthew 10:28 that is to be after the resurrection and, but just do not agree on if destroy means destroy or if destroy mean an everlasting life with punishment. IT IS CLEARLY SAID THAT THE DESTROYING IN THIS PASSAGE IS IN GEHENNA, WHICH IS A PLACE ON THIS EARTH (see chapter 4 on Gehenna), however, if the destroying were after the judgment, even then it would not prove no one could be destroyed. "Fear him who is able to destroy" if it is as many believe this destroying to be at death, or as others believe the destroying is to be after the judgment, this passage clearly says God is able to destroy the psukee [life-soul]. I know many who have a gun but there is no point to fear someone because he has a gun and could kill you if you know he never will. There would be no point to fear God because he has the power and could destroy you, but you know he never will. Jesus is not just making an idle threat. GOD IS TO BE FEARED BECAUSE HE WILL DESTROY. The fear is not of the fact that He can, but on the fact that He will destroy, on the certainty that He will destroy. IF THERE IS AN "IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF MAN" THAT IS IMMORTAL AND CAN NEVER DIE, THEN GOD CANNOT KILL IT AND CHRIST IS SAYING DO NOT FEAR GOD FOR HE CANNOT KILL THE IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF A PERSON. If a person kills us, God will raise us at the judgment. Those whom God destroys are lost, destroyed forever with no hope of a resurrection to life. God is able to destroy both body and soul is changed to: God is able to preserve both body and soul. Without this change, there would be no way to put "Hell" in this passage, and without it there would be no way to put the "soul" in "Hell" without also putting the body in "Hell"; but most important, without changing this passage, there would be no way to keep the soul that many say, "cannot be destroyed" from being destroyed.

EITHER WAY:

• IF THIS IS SPEAKING OF DESTROYING IN GEHENNA
• OR IF THIS IS SPEAKING OF GOD DESTROYING AFTER THE JUDGMENT.
• There is nothing said about a person now having an immortal soul that cannot be destroyed.
• Or about God tormenting anyone after the Judgment is over. Noting about torment anyone at any time, neither in Gehenna nor after the Judgment.
• If the destroying is in Gehenna or if the destroying is at the Judgment, the destroying cannot be moved to after the Judgment is over and them changed from destroying in Gehenna to eternal life in Hell.

If the words "immortal soul" were substituted for "soul" and "life," it would be absurd. "But are not able to kill the immortal soul [life-psukee]: but fear him who is able to destroy both immortal soul [life-psukee] and body in Hell [Gehenna]...He that finds his immortal soul [life-psukee] shall lose his immortal soul [life-psukee]; and he that loses his immortal soul for my sake shall find his immortal soul " [Matthew 10:28-39]. In using this to prove that a person has an immortal soul, which cannot be destroyed, they prove that it can be. If psukee were an immortal soul, then God would be able to destroy this immortal soul. THERE IS NO STRONGER WAY IN WHICH TO SAY GOD CAN AND WILL DESTROY IT. He is to be feared by those of the world because He will. There would be no reason to fear Him if He could not, or if He will not destroy the psukee [soul or life]. I FIND IT STRANGE THAT ONE OF THE MOST USED PASSAGES TO PROVE THERE IS AN "IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF MAN" THAT CANNOT BE DESTROYED SAYS GOD CAN DESTROY IT; BUT, NO STRANGER THEN THE USE OF DEATH TO MEAN AN ETERNAL LIFE OF TORMENT WITH GOD DOING THE TORMENTING. By saying black is white you can prove anything.

The point some are trying to make from God being "able to destroy" is that there is life after death, an immortal soul that cannot be destroyed, which this does not prove. At the resurrection there will be life that GOD CAN DESTROY, not that there is an immortal soul that God cannot destroy. IT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT AN "IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF MAN" THAT IS ALIVE BEFORE THE RESURRECTION THAT CANNOT BE DESTROYED. It does not say there will be any life from death unto the resurrection. That there will be a resurrection is taught through out the New Testament, but if all are alive when Christ comes, there cannot be a resurrection of those that are not dead. GOD CAN DESTROY THE LIFE NOW IS AND THE LIFE THAT WILL BE AFTER THE RESURRECTION. He is to be feared by the lost because He will destroy the life they will have after the resurrection.

PROVES MORE THAN THE ADVOCATE'S OF AN IMMORTAL SOUL WANT TO PROVE. Matthew 10:28 proves more than they believe and more them they want to prove, for they do not believe this earthly body will be tormented in "Hell" or that the "immaterial, invisible part of man" will be destroyed. But, to prove their Hell, they make destroy be just a loss of well being, but still alive and being tormented in Hell. If the immaterial, invisible part of a person is not destroyed, but just lost its well being, then the earthly body is not destroyed, but has just lost its well-being. The same thing happens to both the body and the immaterial, invisible part of a person, therefore, if destroy means one is tormented, not destroyed, then destroy means the earthly body will be tormented in Hell just as the soul will.

• "Fear him who is able to destroy BOTH soul and body in hell [Gehenna].
• What ever happens to the soul [psukee] also happens to the body.
• What ever happens to the body also happens to the soul [psukee].

The word "destroy" is from apollumi. Christ is speaking of a soul [life-psukee] whose destruction is expressed by the same Greek word, apollumi, as is the destruction of the body. Whatever you believe the "soul" to be, it is shown to be as destructible as the body is. WHAT GOD CREATED, GOD CAN DESTROY. Matthew 10:28 does not say a person has an inter "immaterial, invisible part" that God cannot destroy, It SAYS GOD CAN DESTROY BOTH THE BODY AND THE PSUKEE [life].

The advocate's of an immortal soul say, "destroy" [apollumi] means, "torment." If this is true, "torment" should be used in place of "destroy" in all places. Try it. The same is true when apollumi is made to mean "a loss of well-being."

• "The young child to torment [apollumi] him" Matthew 2:13. "The young child to a loss of well-being [apollumi] him"
• "One of your members should torment [apollumi]" "One of your members should a loss of well-being [apollumi]" Matthew 5:29
• "Lord, save us, we torment [apollumi]" Matthew 8:25
• "And the bottles tormented [apollumi]" Matthew 9:17
• "That finds his life shall torment [apollumi] it" Matthew 10:39
• "One of these little one should torment [apollumi]" Matthew 18:14
• "If she torment [apollumi] one piece" Luke 15:14
• "Flood came and tormented [apollumi] them all" Luke 17:27
• "Torment [apollumi] not him with your meat" Romans 14:15
• "I will torment [apollumi] the wisdom of the wise" 1 Corinthians 1:9
• "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to destroy [apollumi] it" [Luke 6:9]. In the parallel passage Mark used "kill," not apollumi. "To save a life, or to kill [apokteino]" [Mark 3:4]. Those who say to destroy means a lost of well being, not death, will have a little trouble saying Mark's "kill" does not mean death. Mark and Luke make destroy [apollumi] and kill [apokteino] both means the same thing, both means death; not eternal life with a lost of well being.
• Many more. See Wigram Englishman's Greek Concordance Page 74 for a long list of passages where destroy could not mean a lost of well being. Just as they only want death to be "separation" or "a lost of well being" part of the time [See chapter two, "Life or Death"] they only want apollumi to be "a lost of well being" or eternal life of torment part of the time. Only when they need them to be translated separation and torment, only when it would destroy their immortal soul doctrine of it were not changed. As translated in the King James Version, both words destroy the doctrine of an immortal soul from birth. They must use their theology meaning to save it. Destroy does not mean to torment forever in any dictionary. [Note: By "lost of well-being" they mean, "God will forever be tormenting them"].

"Destroy both body and soul [psukee]" Just as certain as the garbage of Jerusalem was consumed by the fire, God will destroy, consume both body and soul [living creature]. When Jesus says that God can destroy the body and soul in Gehenna, it is the whole being of man, not just his "well-being." THERE IS NO GROUND FOR THE TRADITIONAL VIEW OF AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT CANNOT BE DESTROYED IN THIS PASSAGE OR ANY OTHER PASSAGE, BUT THERE IS GROUND FOR THE WHOLE OF MAN, BODY AND SOUL [life-psukee], BEING DESTROYED IN THIS AND MANY OTHER PASSAGES.

"Not able to kill the soul [life]," and "destroy both soul and body in Gehenna," are the same thing. JESUS USED BOTH KILL AND DESTROY, BUT SAID NOTHING ABOUT TORMENT. Theology must be used to make destroy mean torment for if the words kill and destroy means kill and destroy, there will be no living "souls" to be tormented in Hell, therefore, no Hell.

• Christ speaks of being destroyed in Gehenna but never says anything about Gehenna being eternal or about torment in Gehenna, but those who change Gehenna into Hell add both eternal life and torment. To have the "Hell" that is taught today, they must first change and them add to what they have changed.
• Most who believes in Hell do not believe the flesh and blood "body" will be tormented in the same place that the immoral "immaterial, invisible" no substance soul is tormented. But, it is clear that whatever happens to the "body" also happens to the "soul." If one is killed, both are killed, if one is tormented, both are tormented. IF GOD IS ABLE TO KILL OR DESTROY BOTH BODY AND SOUL, NEITHER ONE COULD BE IMMORTAL.

FROM THE SAME LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES (God is able to destroy), Lose his life [Greek soul-psukee] must be made to mean an everlasting life of torment [Matthew 10:39].

• "He who finds his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it." The person who saves his life [psukee] by denying Christ will lose his life at the judgment. He who finds his life is one who puts this life ahead of Christ, but he will "lose it" at the judgment, not have an everlasting life with torment. (1) "The wages of sin is death" [Romans 6:23] (2) "A certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries" [Hebrews 10:27]. (3) "The day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men" [2 Peter 3:7]. "And forfeit his life" [soul-psukee] [Mark 8:36]. "And lose himself" [Luke 9:25] Luke used the pronoun "himself" in the place of "psukee" making them be the same thing. It is the life of the person that will be lost or saved, not just an inter invisible part of the person that has no substance, not just something inside of a person that no one can tell us what it really is. The teaching today is that this no substance part of the person will not really be lost, but will just change its address to Heaven to Hell. Life [psukee] is the same word that is translated soul 58 times, and is the only word that is translated soul in the New Testament. An immortal soul had to be put in the Bible, but to do so, the translators had to throw away the whole person we now are to make only an immaterial, invisible part of a person be immortal, and only this "invisible part of man" will have eternal life in Heaven. Those who are lost will lose the same thing that those who are saved will save-LIFE [their psukee]. Many are saying, "Not so Lord, they 'shall not lose it,' for the 'immaterial, invisible part of a man' shall have eternal life in Hell." If this is not what they say, than what are they saying? It is LIFE that is being spoken of as being saved or lost, nothing more, not an immortal soul that can never lose its life being saved from eternal torment by God. There is not a word said about Hell or an immortal, immaterial, invisible part of a person. THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY CHRIST SHALL LOSE THE VERY THING THAT IS SAVED BY THOSE WHO DO OBEY HIM-LIFE; THE LOST SHALL DIE AND THE SAVED SHALL LIVE. "But the righteous shall go into eternal life" [Matthew 25:46]. "In Christ all shall be made alive" [1 Corinthians 15:22].
• "He who loses his life [soul-psukee] shall find it." How could Christ have said it any clearer that the person that loses his life [soul-psukee], his earthly life because he is a Christian and will not deny Christ will find life at the judgment? If "lose his life" [soul-psukee] is to lose his life [soul-psukee] for being a Christian, them "lose his life [soul-psukee]" cannot be to have an everlasting life with torment.
• The same thing that is saved is the same thing that will be lost.
• The person who saves his life by denying Christ
• Will lose the same thing, life, at the judgment
• It is not the soul that is saved by denying Christ but life on earth
• It is not the soul that will be lost at the judgment but life in Heaven
• John 12:25 says the same, "He that loves his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it; and he that hates his life [soul-psukee] in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal"

When save and lose in Matthew 10:39 are applied to soul as it is used in today's theology, it makes nonsense.

• To save ones soul means to save it from Hell-according to today's theology.
• To lose ones soul means to go to Hell forever according to today's theology. When "shall lose it" is made mean going to Hell then "lose his life [soul-psukee]" for Christ mean gong to Hell for Christ.
• He that finds his soul [saves his soul-psukee from Hell] shall lose it [shall lose his soul in Hell-losing one's soul in today's theology is to go to Hell] and he that loses his soul for my sake [he that goes to Hell for my sake] shall find it [shall save his soul from Hell]." Today's theology makes utter nonsense of the Bible.

Life and death and finding and losing life are the same thing. Death and losing life are not everlasting life separated from God. (1) "He that finds his life shall lose it," by some kind of magic charm is turns into eternal life in Hell. "Shall lose it (his life)" is made to mean an ETERNAL LIFE of torment in Hell. How could anyone know this? What dictionary is being used? (2) "He that loses his life for my sake shall find it." Losing the life of the body - being put to death for believing in Christ, also by some kind of magic is turned into eternal life for an "immaterial, invisible part of man" at death before the resurrection. Their magic makes the resurrection useless for they say eternal life is given to all at birth and none can lose it, therefore, Christ cannot give us life. He can only give a reward for being good and can only punish for being bad. TO MAKE PSUKEE BE IN "IMMATERIAL INVISIBLE, IMMORTAL PART OF MAN" THAT CANNOT DIE MAKES IT BE NONSENSE. No doctrine of the Bible is more plain than the loss of life in this passage is the lost of existence, not eternal life with torment for the sinner, and that saving or finding life is to find eternal life at the resurrection.

• "For whosoever would save his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life [soul-psukee] for my sake shall find it. For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [soul-psukee]? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life [soul-psukee]?" [Matthew 16:25-26 American Standard Version].
• "For whosoever would save his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life [soul-psukee] for my sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what do it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [soul-psukee]? For what should a man give in exchange for his life [soul-psukee]?" [Mark 8:35-36].
• "For whosoever would save his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life [soul-psukee] for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lost of forfeit his own self?" [Luke 9:24-25].
• "He that finds his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it; and he that loses his life [soul-psukee] for my sake shall find it" [Matthew 19:39].
• "Whosoever shall seek to gain his life [soul-psukee] shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life [soul-psukee] shall preserve it" [Luke 17:33].
• "He that loves his life [soul-psukee] loses it; and he that hates his life [soul-psukee] in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" [John 12:25].

THE THIRD OCCASION

IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

This was a different discourse than Matthew 5:29-30 above, but He was teaching the same thing. See the notes on the first occasion above. Matthew 18:9 "And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you: it is good for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell [Greek-Gehenna] of fire." Mark 9:43, 45, 47 "And if your hand cause you to stumble, cut it off: it is good for you to enter into life maimed, rather then having your two hands to go into hell [Greek-Gehenna], into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot cause you to stumble, cut it off; it is good for you to enter into life halt, rather then having your two feet to be cast into hell [Greek-Gehenna]. And if your eye cause you to stumble, cast it out; it is good for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell [Greek-Gehenna] where their worm dies not, the fire is not quenched" "Where their worm dies not, the fire is not quenched" is in Mark 9:44, 46, and 48 in some translations. The footnote in the American Standard Version says, "Verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48) are omitted by the best ancient authorities." "Where their worm dies not, the fire is not quenched" is a direct quotation from Isaiah 66:23-24 where it is speaking of dead bodies on this earth being burn with fire and eaten by worms. Gehenna, a place on this earth, has been changed to "Hell" a place not on this earth; and no one can give a Bible passage that tells of a place called "Hell." “It is better for you to enter life crippled” [Mark 9:43], what “life” is Christ speaking of? Do unconditional immoralists believe Christ is saying it is better for an immortal soul to enter life in Heaven a crippled soul? If Christ were speaking of immortal souls entering Heaven or being cast into Hell, would there be any way to say there will not be crippled souls in Heaven?

THE FOURTH OCCASION

IN A SERMON TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Gehenna is used two times in a sermon to the Scribes and Pharisees warning them of God's rejection of Israel. In Matthew 23 and 24 Christ speaks of the destruction of Israel. "All these things shall come upon this generation" [Matthew 23:36]. The context of these two uses of Gehenna are clearly an in time judgment of Israel, a judgment that has now passed, not of anything that will be after the judgment at the coming of Christ. THEY HAVE NO REFERENCE TO "HELL." The "damnation of Hell" as it is preached today did not come on that "generation," but the judgment and destruction of Israel did. "Damnation" is from krisis which means judgment, not damnation as it is mistranslated in the King James Version, the "judgment of Gehenna," not the "damnation of Hell."

ISRAEL THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN Matthew 21:33-46: Before looking at this use of Gehenna it may help understand it to first look at the parable of the wicked husbandman that comes just before it and is a part of the same sermon spoken to the Scribes and Pharisees. "When; therefore, the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto these husbandman? They say unto him, HE WILL MISERABLY DESTROY THESE MISERABLE MEN, AND WILL LET OUT THE VINEYARD UNTO OTHER HUSBANDMEN, who will render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus said unto them, did you never read in the scriptures, the stone, which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes? THEREFORE SAY I UNTO YOU, THE KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU, AND SHALL BE GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS THEREOF. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. AND WHEN THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND PHARISEES HEARD HIS PARABLES, THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THEM." How is it that today most do not understand these parables to be about Israel? Many parables deal with the rejection of Christ by Israel and its destruction. See chapter 8, part 1 and part 2.

[1] SON OF GEHENNA: Matthew 23:15 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, you make him twofold more a son of hell [Greek-Gehenna] then yourselves." In speaking to the Pharisees, Christ said, "For you are like unto whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead man's bones, and of all uncleanness" [Matthew 23:27]. They made their proselytes "twofold more a son of Gehenna than your selves" [Matthew 23:15]. A place cannot give birth to a person. No one, not even those who believe in Hell, believe Hell is literally the father or mother of anyone. To call a person a son of a place is not to say that place is his mother, but is to say a part of his character is similar to the place. Gehenna was a place of filth and uncleanness. To use the metaphors "son of Gehenna" is to say they were unclean like the filthy city dump. To be a "son of Gehenna" means to be like Gehenna and the things in it: to be filthy and contemptible. The proselytes were made twofold more unclean then the Pharisees. Because Gehenna does not literally have sons, this is a figure of speech and not intended to be taken literally nether in this life or after death. James and John are called "sons of thunder" [Mark 3:17]. Thunder did not give birth to them, but a part of their character is similar to thunder. "And if a son of peace be there" [Luke 10:6], "Son of exhortation" [Acts 4:36], "Sons of disobedience" [Ephesians 2:2], "The son of destruction" [2 Thessalonians 2:3]; "The child of anything in Hebrew phraseology expressed the idea of special property which one has in the thing specified, as, for instance, children of disobedience [Eph. ii. 2]" J W McGarvey, Matthew 8:11, The Fourfold Gospel, Standard Publishing Company, 1914. This metaphor is not taken from the destruction by the fire and maggots in Gehenna; but it is a metaphor taken from the filth and uncleanness of Gehenna. Although this passage is repeatedly used to prove eternal torment after death, there is nothing about any torment in it, not in this lifetime or after death.

In the same address to the scribes and Pharisees Christ gives two more examples of their uncleanness.

1. They washed the outside of the cup to make it clean "but within they are full from extortion and excess. You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also" [Matthew 23:25-26].

2. They were like whitewashed graves "which appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead man's bones, and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" [Matthew 23:27-28]. Matthew 23:13-39 is a list of seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees. "Twofold more a son of Gehenna" [Matthew 23:15] is the second of the seven woes.

o The seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees [Matthew 23:13-39].

1. Shut the kingdom of heaven against men and enter not in [Matthew 23:13-14].

2. Made their proselytes twofold more a son of Gehenna than them selves [Matthew 23:15].

3. To swear by the temple is nothing [Matthew 23:16-22].

4. Left undone the weightier matters [Matthew 23: 23-24].

5. Within they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, cleaned only the outside of the cup [Matthew 23:25-26].

6. Are whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness [Matthew 23:17-28].

7. Are sons and partakers with their fathers that slew the prophets. "How shall you escape the judgment of Gehenna"? [Matthew 23:29-39].

[2] JUDGMENT OF GEHENNA: Matthew 23:33-36 "Fill you up then the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how shall you escape the judgment of hell [Greek-Gehenna]? Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall you kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the sanctuary and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation." Christ had just told the scribes and Pharisees they made their proselytes more a "SON of Gehenna" [unclean] than themselves; then He calls them "offspring [SONS of] vipers," and "all these things (all the righteous blood from Abel to Zechariah) shall come upon this generation." Matthew 23 is a discourse about the scribes and the Pharisees; many take one word of this discourse out of it context, then change that noun to another noun, which is not in the Bible.

The Scribes and Pharisees knew the law, but did not keep it. Outwardly they were as beautiful as white sepulchers, but inwardly were full of dead man's bones. They would not escape the judgment to come. "Verily I say unto you, all these things SHALL COME UPON THIS GENERATION" [Matthew 23:36]. Matthew 24 is a discourse to His disciples about the destruction of Israel of which He had spoken of to the Pharisees in the chapter before. That generation would not escape the judgment of Gehenna. It came in A. D. 70 when some historians say Gehenna was filled with the dead bodies of Jews from the destruction of Jerusalem [See Jeremiah 19]. For notes on this use of "The judgment of Gehenna" see chapter eight, part one, Israel's destruction. To the Jews, to be left unburied, to be judged as not being fit to be buried and thrown into the city dump just as they were doing to those they judged as being unfit to be buried was the worse of all insult. It was the most severe judgment of contempt upon a criminal known to the Jews. In the judgment soon to come upon them Josephus said six hundred thousand dead bodies of the Jews were carried out of Jerusalem and lift unburied.

The seven “woes’ to the scribes and Pharisees [Matthew 23:13-38]. In this lecture and warning to the Scribes and Pharisees about the judgment coming on Israel why did the King James translators change “THE JUDGMENT [krisis] OF GEHENNA” INTO “THE DAMNATION [krisis] OF HELL” [Matthew 23:33]?

· “Judgment of Gehenna” for Israel is changed to:

· “Damnation of Hell” for all that “shall come upon this generation” [Matthew 23:36].

"Condemnation," "damnation," and "damned" of the King James Version

• Krisis is used in the New Testament 48 times and translated "judgment" 41 times, "damnation" 3 times in the King James Version. The King James Version changed "judgment of Gehenna" into "damnation of Hell." Did they think that if they put damnation with Hell that it would make the threat of Hell stronger? Krisis should have never been translated damnation or condemnation. Krisis is translated "judgment" 47 times, and "sin" one time in Mark 3:29 in the American Standard Version.
• Krino is translated judge, judged, 86 times in the King James Version, damned 1 time, and condemn, condemned, condemning 4 times in the King James Version.
• Condemnation, damnation, and damned were all taken out of the American Standard Version and most others. How many millions have been made to believe a lie by this deliberate changing of the Bible?

THE RESURRECTION OF DAMNATION [krisis] (KJV), JUDGMENT [krisis] (ASV). "The resurrection of judgment (krisis)" [John 5:29] says nothing about an eternal life of torment in Hell after the judgment although this passage is continually used to prove eternal torment. The verdict of the judgment, if it be death, eternal life with torment, or what ever it maybe, the verdict of the judgment is not in this passage. In an attempt to put Hell in the Bible, the translators of the King James Version changed the judgment and made it be the verdict of the judgment and made the verdict be what they needed it to be.

• John 5:29
• "Unto the resurrection of damnation [krisis]" King James Version, New King James Version.
• "Unto the resurrection of judgment [krisis]" American Standard Version
• John 5:24
• "Shall not come into condemnation [krisis]" King James Version
• "Shall not come into judgment [krisis]" New King James Version, American Standard Version
• Matthew 23:33
• "Escape the damnation [krisis]" King James Version, New King James Version
• "Escape the judgment [krisis]" American Standard Version
• John 3:19
• "And this is the condemnation [krisis]" King James Version, New King James Version
• "And this is the judgment [krisis]" American Standard Version

If "krisis" means "damnation" then we are all in trouble for "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes damnation judgment (krisis)" [Hebrews 9:27]. When it is applied only to the lost the King James translators translated "krisis" condemnation, but when it is applied to all [Hebrews 9:27] they translated "krisis" judgment. Just one more example of how they were willing to mistranslate to put their "Hell" into the Bible. The American Standard Version and most others do not translate "krisis" into condemnation or damnation. TWO WORDS HAD TO BE CHANGED IN MATTHEW 23:33 TO PUT TODAY'S HELL IN THE BIBLE. "JUDGMENT" HAD TO BE CHANGED TO "DAMNATION" AND "GEHENNA" HAD TO BE CHANGED TO "HELL."

NO ROOT, NO BRANCH, NO HOPE OF LIFE FOR ISRAEL. Foy E. Wallace, Jr. says, "The prophet declares that 'the day shall burn as an oven' and 'it shall burn them up'--a pronouncement against the Jewish nation and governments that rejected and condemned the Christ, and persecuted his saints. The advent of the Messiah would be 'the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord'" "God's Prophetic Word," Page 545. Malachi 4:1. Malachi's pronouncement is against the Jewish nation that rejected and condemned the Christ, and persecuted his saints. "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root not branch" [Malachi 4:1]. Job says when a tree is cut down there is hope that the root will sprout [Job 14:8]; there is hope of life. In the last chapter in the Old Testament of our English Bible Malachi says Israel will not be left a root to sprout a branch or a branch to sprout roots, therefore, there will be no hope for life.

Summary: JUST AS EVERY REFERENCE TO GEHENNA IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IS TO A PLACE ON THIS EARTH, TO THE VALLEY SOUTH OF JERUSALEM AND IS NEVER TRANSLATED "HELL." EVERY REFERENCE TO GEHENNA BY CHRIST IS ALSO TO THE SAME PLACE ON THIS EARTH. IN THE FOUR OCCASIONS THAT GEHENNA IS USED, NOT IN A ONE IS GEHENNA SAID TO BE ETERNAL OR EVERLASTING, NOT ONCE IS THERE ANY TORMENT OF LIVING PERSONS IN IT, AND NOT ONCE IS IT USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RESURRECTION, BUT TODAY PREACHERS MOST ALWAYS ADD EVERLASTING AND SAY IT WILL NEVER END. HOW DO THEY KNOW THIS? NONE OF THE APOSTLES EVER PREACH ANYTHING ABOUT GEHENNA. IF IT WERE A PLACE OF TORMENT WHERE GOD SHALL TORMENT ALL THE LOST, WHY DID THEY NEVER SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT? THEY USED DEATH, DESTROY, DESTROYED, PERISH, DIE, AND END; BUT NEVER "HELL."

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES

TO THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

SET ON FIRE BY GEHENNA James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire; the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell [Greek-Gehenna]." James used the same proper noun [the name of a particular place] that Christ used, but he used it in a different way. The tongue is a fire and is set on fire by Gehenna-the filthy, contemptible garbage dump. Most who are given to gossip look for some filthy rotten garbage on someone, and then cannot wait to tell it. James did not use Gehenna to teach the Jews about what was going to happen them if they rejected Christ. To say "The tongue is set on fire by the place of eternal torment after the judgment," which is what many teach, makes no sense. This metaphor is not taken from the destruction by the fire and maggots in Gehenna; but it is a metaphor taken from the filth and uncleanness of Gehenna. There is nothing about torment or destruction in it, and nothing about after death. The tongue is a fire now in this lifetime. To make Hell be a literal place not of this earth that sets on fire a literal tongue of a living person on this earth would somehow make that person's tongue be in contact with a place that is not on this earth. Gehenna is a place of corruption, which was figuratively applied to a vile tongue.

| KJV | ASV NASV RSV NRSV* | Many More**

Matthew 5:22, 29, 30_ | Hell | Hell (Greek Gehenna)| Gehenna

Matthew 10:28 | Hell | Hell (Greek Gehenna)| Gehenna

Mt 18:9 Mk 9:43,44,45 | Hell | Hell (Greek Gehenna)| Gehenna

Matthew 23:15, 33 | Hell | Hell (Greek Gehenna)| Gehenna

Luke 12:5 | Hell | Hell (Greek Gehenna)| Gehenna

James 3:6 | Hell | Hell (Greek Gehenna)| Gehenna

The American Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, and others have a footnote "Gr. Gehenna."

**New American Bible (Catholic), World English Bible, Young's Literal New Testament (author of "Young's Analytical Concordance"), Wesley's New Testament (founder of Methodist Church), Christian Bible 1991, and many more (many with "0 times" above) have "Gehenna" in the text as it should be as a Proper Noun (the name of a particular place). The Amplified Bible has it as an insert in the text: "Hell (Gehenna) of fire."

THE TRANSLATION OF GEHENNA IN SEVEN TRANSLATIONS

[1] Young's Literal Bible (1891) Author of "Young's Analytical Concordance To The Bible"

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - Gehenna of the fire

Matthew 5:29 - Gehenna

Matthew 5:30 - Gehenna

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 - Destroy in Gehenna

Luke 12:5 - Gehenna

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Gehenna of the fire

Mark 9:43 - Gehenna

Mark 9:44-------

Mark 9:45 - Gehenna

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 - Son of Gehenna

Matthew 23:33 - Gehenna

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - Set of fire by the Gehenna

[2] Wesley's New Testament (1755) the original edition by Wesley, the founder of Methodist Church, not the updated editions that were made later by others.

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - Gehenna

Matthew 5:29 - Gehenna

Matthew 5:30 - Gehenna

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 - Gehenna

Luke 12:5 - Gehenna

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Gehenna

Mark 9:43 - Gehenna

Mark 9:44 - Gehenna

Mark 9:45 - Gehenna

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 - Gehenna

Matthew 23:33 - Gehenna

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - Gehenna

[3] Weymouth New Testament (1903)

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - Gehenna of Fire

Matthew 5:29 - Gehenna

Matthew 5:30 - Gehenna

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 - Gehenna

Luke 12:5 - Gehenna

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Gehenna of fire

Mark 9:43 - Gehenna

Mark 9:44-------

Mark 9:45 - Gehenna

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 - Son of Gehenna

Matthew 23:33 - Gehenna

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - Set of fire by Gehenna

[4] The New American Bible (1991) (Catholic)

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - Whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna

Matthew 5:29 - Better to lose part of you body than have it all cast into Gehenna

Matthew 5:30 - Better to lose part of you body than have it all cast into Gehenna

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 Gehenna

Luke 12:5 - Fear him who has power to cast into Gehenna after he has killed

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Better to enter life with one eye than be thrown with both into fiery Gehenna

Mark 9:43 - Better for you to enter life maimed than to keep both hands and enter Gehenna with its unquenchable fire

Mark 9:44 - Better for you to enter life crippled than to be thrown into Gehenna with both feet

Mark 9:45 - Better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to be thrown with both eyes into Gehenna

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 --------

Matthew 23:33 - Gehenna

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - And its fire is kindled by hell

[5] Phillips New Testament (1952)

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - Fire of destruction

Matthew 5:29 - Rubbish-heap

Matthew 5:30 - Rubbish-heap

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 - Fire of destruction

Luke 12:5 - Throw you into destruction

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Fire of the rubbish-heap

Mark 9:43 - Go to the rubbish-heap

Mark 9:44 - Thrown on to the rubbish-heap

Mark 9:45 - Thrown on to the rubbish-heap

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 - Ripe for destruction

Matthew 23:33 - Fire of destruction

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - It can set the whole of life ablaze, fed with the fires of hell

The New Testament in Modern English" by J. B. Phillips says, "and go to the rubbish-heap where the fire never dies" (Mark 9:43); and "thrown on the rubbish-heap, where decay never stops and the fire never goes out" (Mark 9:49). Also Matthew 5:29, 18:9, Mark 9:47, "Fire of destruction" in Matthew 5:22, 10:28, 32:33, Luke 12:5. He leaves out "Gehenna," a name of a particular place; and puts what Jerusalem's Gehenna was to the people of that time to make it where people today will understand the same thing the Jews Christ was speaking to would understand. Many today would not know that Gehenna was the Rubbish-heap of Jerusalem. This is not a translation of the Greek, but it is a good commentary. He translated "Gehenna" into Hell only one time (James 3:6). This is the only time Hell is in his translation, and shows he believed in Hell, but knows the Greek manuscripts did not have it.

[6] The Christian Bible (1991

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - The Gehenna of Fire

Matthew 5:29 - Your whole body should be thrown into Gehenna

Matthew 5:30 - Your whole body should pass away into Gehenna

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 - And the body in Gehenna

Luke 12:5 - Gehenna

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Then to have two eyes and to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire

Mark 9:43 - Gehenna

Mark 9:44-------

Mark 9:45 - Thrown into Gehenna

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 - A son of Gehenna

Matthew 23:33 - Gehenna

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - The tongue...is set of fire by Gehenna

[7] World English Bible

FIRST OCCASION, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Matthew 5:22 - Shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna

Matthew 5:29 Than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna

Matthew 5:30 - And not your whole body be cast into Gehenna

SECOND OCCASION, IN A LESSON TO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:28 - Able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna

Luke 12:5 - Gehenna

THIRD OCCASION, IN ANOTHER LESSON TO HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 18:9 - Than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire

Mark 9:43 - Gehenna

Mark 9:45 - Gehenna

Mark 9:47 - Gehenna of fire

FOURTH OCCASION, TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Matthew 23:15 - You make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves

Matthew 23:33 - How will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

AND ONE TIME BY JAMES, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES

James 3:6 - The tongue is a fire...and is set on fire by Gehenna

[8] There are also many other translations that do not have "Hell" in them.

DID JESUS SAY MORE ABOUT HELL THAN HEAVEN?

It has been said so often by many preachers that Jesus said more about Hell than He did about Heaven. Is this the truth or a lie that has been told so many times by preachers that many believe without questioning it? The truth is that without mistranslating to make Jesus say some He did not say, He or any New Testament writers did not say one word about Hell. Although they said nothing about Hell they did say much about Heaven.

· A PLACE IN HEAVEN "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” [John 14:12].

· OUR TREASURES ARE IN HEAVEN Matthew 6:20; 10:21; 19:21; Luke 18:22

· OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN Philippians 3:20-21

· RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR US 1 Peter 1:4; Matthew 6:20; 19:21; Mark 12:25; Luke 6:23

· IN THE AGE TO COME ETERNAL LIFE Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30

· WE WILL HAVE THE IMAGE OF THE HEAVENLY 1 Corinthians 15:49

· WE WILL PUT ON IMMORTALITY 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

THE VANISHING HELL

TRANSLATIONS ARE GETTING AWAY FROM HELL

The King James Version and the New King James Version ARE THE ONLY TWO OF THE MAJOR TRANSLATIONS THAT HAVE HELL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. ALL OTHERS HAVE ABANDONED IT AS A BAD TRANSLATION. Hell is rapidly vanishing from the Bible. It has vanished from the Old Testament in most "conservative" translations. Moses or Abraham did not know about it. It has all but vanished from the New Testament in the "conservative" translations, and has vanished altogether in many. Even in the 31 times Hell is in the King James Version, in 12 of these, the New King James Version changed "Hell" in the King James Version to "Sheol" (from 31 times to 19 times). Were the translators trying to ease away but were afraid to go to far?

THE VANISHING HELL. WHY IS THE NUMBER OF TIMES HELL IS USED DECREASING? TRANSLATORS CANNOT AGREE ON HOW MANY TIMES TO MISTRANSLATE IT.

Number of times Hell is used in - - -The Bible | The O.T. | The N. T.

The Wycliffe Bible (1395) 83 times | 57 times | 26 times

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535) 70 times | 50 times | 23 times

The Bishop's Bible (1568) 59 times | 35 times | 24 times

The Geneva Bible (1587) 36 times | 16 times | 20 times

The Original King James Version(1611) 52 times | 30 times | 22 times

King James Version 54 times | 31 times | 23 times

It has had several reversions. The King James Version that is used today is not the original 1611 version, but is the last of several revisions.

Westster Bible (1611) 49 times | 26 times | 23 times

New King James Version (1982) 32 times | 19 times | 13 times

Young's Literal Bible (1891) 0 times | 0 times | 0 times

American Standard Version (1901) 13 times | 0 times | 13 times

New American Standard Version (1960) 13 times | 0 times | 13 times

Revised Standard Version (1946) 13 times | 0 times | 13 times

Derby Translation (1890-1961) 12 times | 0 times | 12 times

New International Version (1987) 14 times | 0 times | 14 times

Amplified Bible (1987) 15 times | 0 times | 15 times*

New Century Version (1987) 12 times | 0 times | 12 times

New Revised Standard Version (1989) 13 times | 0 times | 13 times

Revised English Bible (1989) 28 times | 15 times | 13 times

Contemporary English Version (1995) 20 times | 0 times | 20 times

New Living Translation (1996) 19 times | 2 times | 17 times

English Standard Version (2001) 14 times | 0 times | 14 times

New International Version - UK 14 times | 0 times | 14 times

Today’s New International Version 13 times | 0 times | 13 times

Holman Christian Standard Bible(2003) 11 times | 0 times | 11 times

Update Bible Version 1 9 (2003) 12 times | 0 times | 12 times

Peshitta - Lamsa translation 12 times | 1 time | 11 times

Rotherham Emphasized (1902) 0 times | 0 times | 0 times

Fenton's Bible in Modern English(1903) 0 times | 0 times | 0 times

New American Bible (Catholic) (1991) 0 times | 0 times | 0 times

World English Bible (Catholic) 0 times | 0 times | 0 times

Hebrew Names Version of WEB 0 times | 0 times | 0 times

Daniel Mace New Testament (1729) 3 times

Wesley' N T (The original, not some updated editions)(1755) 0 times

Scarlett's New Testament (1798) 0 times

The New Testament in Greek and English (Kneeland) (1823) 0 times

New Covenant, New Testament (1884) 0 times

Scrivenre New Testament (1884) 0 times

Hanson's New Covenant (1884) 0 times

Twentieth Century New Testament (1900) 0 times

Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (reprinted) (1902) 0 times

Fenton's Holy Bible in Modern English (1903) 0 times

Weymouth's New Testament in Modern Speech (1903) 0 times

Panin's Numeric English New Testament (1914) 0 times

The People's New Covenant (Overbury) (1925) 0 times

Western New Testament (1926) 0 times

The New Testament, A Translation (Clementson) (1938) 0 times

J B Phillips New Testament in Modern English (1947) 1 times

New Testament of our Lord and Savior Anointed(Tomanek)(1958) 0 times

Western New Testament (1959) 0 times

Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible (1976) 0 times

The New Testament, A New Translation (Greber) (1980) 0 times

Concordance Literal New Testament (1983) 0 times

Christian Bible, New Testament (1991) 0 times

Recovery Version, New Testament (1991) 0 times

New Testament of Our Lord and Savor Jesus Anointed 0 times

The Original Bible Project (Dr Tabor) 0 times

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament (Note A)(Berry 1897) 0 times

Emphatic Diaglott, Greek/English Interlinear (Wilson) (1942) 0 times

Zondervan Parallel N T in Greek and English (Note A)(1975) 0 times

NASB-NIV Parallel N T in Greek and English(Marshall)(1986) 0 times

Interlinear NASB-NIV Parallel NT Greek-English(Note A)(1993) 0 times

Jewish Publication Society Bible Old Testament(Note B)(1917) 0 times

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, Old Testament (Note B) (1985) 0 times

The Complete Jewish Bible (Note B) 0 times

The Septuagint-translation of Hebrew to Greek 3rd century BC 0 times

*12 times the Amplified Bible has "Hell (Gehenna)" in the text, not in a footnote.

Note A. The word-for-word translations beneath the Greek, not the translations in the margin.

Note B. All Jewish translations I found of the Old Testament do not have "Hell" in them. It is not in the Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek that was in used in the time of Christ.

I find it strange that the Catholic Church believes in Hell, but they removed Hell from two translations they made.

I have been told that there is a NWT translation by the Jehovah's Witnesses that do not have "Hell" in it, but I could not confirm this. I am sure there are many others that I do not know about in English, and there are many in other languages for Gehenna, like all other proper nouns, is seldom translated or changed to another proper noun in the translations in other languages.

ONE EXAMPLE OF THE VANISHING HELL Psalms 116:3.

• "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of HELL gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow." King James Version.
• "The pains of death encompassed me, and the pangs of SHEOL laid hold of me" New King James Version.
• "The cord of death compassed me, and the pains of SHEOL gat hole upon me" American Standard Version.
• "The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of SHEOL laid hold on me" Revised Standard Version.
• "The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the GRAVE came upon me" New International Version.
• "Death had its hands around my throat; the terrors of the GRAVE overtook me" New Living Translation.
• "The cords of death bound me, SHEOL held me in its grip" Revised English Bible.
• "The cords and sorrows of death were around me, and the terrors of SHEOL [the place of the dead] had laid hold of me" Amplified Bible.
• "The ropes of death bound me, and the fear of the GRAVE took hold of me" New Century Bible.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD A SERMON OF HELL? There was a time when most every revival had one or more sermons on the horrors of the Hell that most were going to. Most every sermon ended with a warning that all that did not repent was going to Hell. Jonathan Edwards was well known for his “Hell-fire” sermons. These "Hellfire" preachers are not as poplar as they once were and their audience is much smaller. Today in most churches a sermon on Hell is never preached and no one is told he or she will go to Hell if they do not repent. Although there are many who do not believe in Hell and other that are no longer sure that there is a Hell why do many say nothing about it in their sermons and Bible lessons?

· A preacher may think he would not be allowed to preach and most would not. Many churches would brand him a heretic and he would not be able to preach in most churches.

· Elders and Deacons would not be allowed to continue as Elders and Deacons.

· Bible teachers would not be permitted to teach.

· Members would not be permitted to lead singing, lead prayer, or do anything in the worship service.

About all that anyone who does not believe in Hell is permitted to do in most churches is come and sit and give their money; you will be shut out and not be permitted to lead prayer or take part in the worship in any way but no matter what you believe you will be permitted and even expected to give your money. Along with many others I can tell you for a fact that this is sure to happen in most congregations of the church.

THE CHANGING HELL

Why are there many conflicting Hells?

Some of the many Versions of Hell

1. The Bible version of Hell

2. The Dark Age Catholic version of Hell

3. The new Catholic version of Hell

4. The many divided Protestant versions of Hell

o The Calvin version of Hell

o The Jonathan Edwards version of Hell

o The Graphic version of Hell

o Satan will be doing the tormenting version of Hell

o God will be doing the tormenting version of Hell

o The Metaphorical view of both Heaven and Hell

o Mental anguish version of Hell

o Protestant Traditionalist versions of Hell

o Protestant Premillennial versions of Hell

o Realized Eschatology - The A. D. 70 version of Hell

o Rephaim version of Hell

5. Abraham's bosom or the after judgment Hell

6. Edward Fudge version: The short Hell

7. Christadelphians version of Hell

8. Church of God version of Hell (and others)

9. Universalist version of Hell, The "age lasting" Hell

10. Seventh Day Advent version of Hell

11. The grave is Hell version

12. Latter-day Saints version of Hell [Mormons]

The Bible version of Hell: There is no Bible version of Hell. Both the name Hell and the concept, a place where God will forever torment most men was not known about in Old or New Testament times. It was not known about by the Greeks or anyone back them. It was not used by Christ or Paul, neither the place nor the name. It was not known about by anyone unto long after the last page of the Bible.

Most of the versions of Hell below are based on the belief that:

• A person has some part of them self that is immortal from birth and is not subject to death.
• That death is not death, the dead are more alive then the living, "You shall not surely die."

The Dark Age Catholic version of Hell: The soul being immortal came from Greek philosophy, and was brought into the church by some of the "church fathers," by Augustine more then most others. The doctrine of Hell came soon after the immortal soul doctrine along with Purgatory, the sale of indulgences, Limbo, worship of Mary and saints, Nether World, Holy Water, the rosary, forbidding Priest to marry, the crucifix, Monks and Nuns, forbidding eating of meat on Friday, and many other teaching; and was fully developed by the Dark Age Catholic Church before the Protestant Reformation. I have found it difficult to pen down just what is the official teaching. It seems to be that in the past they believed that only a very few, the very bad, will go to Hell, which is a real place, at their death with no judgment. A few of the very good will go to Heaven at their death with no judgment [an instant rapture]. At death most Catholic will go to Purgatory, which seems to be a limited version of Hell, unto they have suffered enough to pay for their sins or unto their love ones have paid all they can, then they go to Heaven. How long a person will be in Purgatory is sometimes taught to be a short time and sometimes millions of years to those who have no one to win indulgences for them. It has brought enormous wealth to the rich Catholic Church from the poor who paid what little they had and even done without food to help a loved one. The Catholic Purgatory gives no hope for heathens, heretics, or the unbaptized.

The new Catholic version of Hell: Pope John II, "Hell is not a punishment imposed externally by God, but the condition resulting from attitudes and actions which people adopt in this life...So eternal damnation is not God's work but is actually our own doing...More than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy." In a statement made to his general audience, July 28, 1999. There are other high up Catholics who have made statements like this one but I see no use in adding more when you have the top dog in the Catholic Church. Maybe this is why two of their Bible English translations do not have the word "Hell" in them, and who knows how many other Catholics translations in other languages do not; however, because it has been the official doctrine for centuries and the decrees of councils and Popes, the Roman Catholic Church cannot officially not teach Hell is a place of eternal torment without giving up completely her claim of infallibility. Protestantism has not made this claim of infallibility and many are giving Hell up.

Some of the many divisions of the Protestant versions of Hell: Going to Heaven or Hell one by one at death, before and without the judgment or the Resurrection. After much conflict among the reformers, most Protestants accepted much of the early Catholic version but without Purgatory. Unconditional immortality, which is the foundation on which Hell stands, was accepted mostly due to Calvin winning out over Martin Luther. If they had accepted Luther's views on immortality, there would be no foundation for Hell. Many Protestants believe all who do not accept Christ will go to Hell at death before a judgment. God deliberately chooses to make them suffer and feel the pain without any letup forever. The saved will go to their eternal home in Heaven at death [an instant rapture]. The Westminster Confession says, "The souls of the righteous...are received unto the highest heavens...the soul of the wicked are cast into Hell." Does God judge them at death, them maybe thousands of years later, takes them out of Heaven and Hell to rejudge them at the resurrection to see whether He made a mistake? Many believe an unbaptized baby will not be saved. This version is still believed by many today, even by many that say they are looking for the rapture. An opposition to belief in Hell is rapidly growing in the Protestant churches.

Some of the major Protestant versions of Hell: from the Protestant Reformation unto now there have been many changes and new Protestant versions of Hell.

• The Calvin version of Hell: The given no chance Hell. An extension of the early Protestant Version, but with a god that made most of mankind knowing he is going to torment them in Hell forever, and there is nothing they can do to keep from going to Hell. This god made them just so he could torment them forever "to His good pleasure." No amount of preaching or teaching can change the number, which shall be in this Hell not even by one person. The Westminster Confession says, "By the decree of God, for the Manifestation of is glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto Everlasting Life, and others foreordained unto everlasting death." Some Protestants still believe this version but it is not near as poplar as it was a few years ago. Those who say they are orthodox Protestants who do not believe the Calvin Version of Hell may far out number those who do.
• The Jonathan Edwards version of Hell: Also, an extension of the early Protestant Version and there was a time when most Protestants believed this view of Hell but now only a few believe it. There are about as many variations of this version as there are preachers who preach it. Most taught God had given Hell over to Satan and he will roast most of mankind forever and torment them; however he wishes to. Some have demons peeling off the burning flash of those in Hell with God making sure they keep it up forever. Some have God doing the tormenting of Satan, the demons, and man, with God forever pouring in fire and brimstone, and thousands of other ways of tormenting with each preacher trying to out do the others in telling of the horrors of Hell. Each one trying to make the god of Hell more evil then the others have. Jonathan Edwards said God "will crush their blood out and make it fly, so that it will sprinkle his garment and stain all his raiment." They never tell how they know such details. Put all their horrors together and it would take many books to tell then all. Some of them get very specific with the details of the torment. These "Hellfire" preachers are not as poplar as they once were and their audience is much smaller. It is unimportant to them if they have no Bible for their Hell or its horrors. The badly mistranslated King James Version is all they need to make their Hell believable to many with whatever kind of torment they want to put in it. Some believers of the Calvin version also believe this version and mix the two or parts of the two together. There is not much unity of belief among the Protestants. Today, in almost any church, if the preacher started preached sermons about Hell that was like the one's Edwards preached, he would be out of work very soon.
• This version of Hell makes there be something like two kingdoms or two universes after the judgment with Satan over one with most of mankind and God over a few. Both God and Satan would have eternal power in their kingdom and the division between them, between Heaven and Hell would mean God would not ever have a victory over evil.
• The Graphic version of Hell: The sinners will be tormented in the parts of their bodies that sinned. "In short, whatever member of the body sinned, that member would be punished more than any other in hell...In Christian literature we find blasphemers hanging by their tongues. Adulterous women who plaited their hair to entice men dangle over boiling mire by their...hair." William Crockett, "Four Views on Hell" Page 46.
• Satan will be doing the tormenting version of Hell: Satan and his angels will be doing the tormenting, but they could only be executing the will of God that the lost be tormented for they could not torment the lost without God letting them. This view was believed by most in the Dark Age and by most Jonathan Edwards preachers. Most Protestants have now abandon the view of Satan doing the tormenting, but I remember that most did believe it when I was a child for it was what most Protestants believed at that time.
• SATAN AND HIS ANGELS ARE NEVER PUNISHED. In this version of Hell Satan and evil spirits are forever over "Hell" and will forever be able to torment most of mankind. Instead of being punished, they will have forever triumphed over God and will forever have a kingdom of their own where they will work their evil on mankind as they please to and as it gives them pleasure.
• God will be doing the tormenting version of Hell: Satan and his angels will be tormented by God just as all the lost of mankind will. There has been a major change by many Protestants from Satan to God doing the tormenting.
• The Metaphorical view of both Heaven and Hell: We are not told what they will literally be like. We are told in pictures that tell us Heaven will be a place of beauty more than anything on this earth and that Hell will be worse than anything on this earth. Because we cannot understand what Heaven will really be like, we are given the picture of a city with gold streets and pearl gates to picture for us its great beauty and value, but it will not literally be made of gold, pearls, or of anything that we have on this earth. The metaphorical view of is Hell is pictured as a place of fire, but it will not literally have fire as we know it, or darkness as we know it. In this view none of the literal torments of the Jonathan Edwards Version are possible for they are all things of this earth that will not be in Hell. This version of "Hell" seems to be growing rapidly for it is looked on as a way to make God less evil, but in fact, it does not for whatever would be symbolized by being tormented by eternal fire would be just as bad as being eternally tormented by literal fire.
• Mental anguish version of Hell: Hell is only a state of mind. In "The World To Come" Page 300, Isaac Watts makes the worm be the conscience of a person eating on himself for all eternally. A survey by US News, January 2000, Page 47, says 53 percent of Americans believe Hell to be only mental anguish. This is an attempt by some to lessen the negative effect of Hell making God cruel and sadistic, but the attempt is a complete failure. Replacing physical torment with mental anguish does nothing to change Hell by making the torment be less. Mental anguish can be worse than physical pain, and it would still be torment without end, and would still be God doing the tormenting. Billy Graham who is an orthodox Protestant would in no way be called orthodox by Calvin or Jonathan Edwards, nor would many others that believe Hell is only mental anguish as he does. The old orthodox is some times the very opposite of the new orthodox.
• Mental anguish version of Hell for sins after death, the sinner punishes himself after death, it is not God that punishes him. Alexander Campbell said, "The sinner's suffering by mental agony, produced by sin, greater than could be caused by material fire." "Five discourses on Hell" 1848. Then he says, "We do not maintain that men are punished eternally for sins committed in this life only. The analysis of the sufferings of a future retribution, which we have just given, is itself sufficient evidence of this fact; for the indulgence of voluntary depravity is itself both sin and punishment. As a consequence of past sins, the sinner has formed the habit of sinning. It is a law of man's nature, that habit creates both a tendency to certain acts, and a facility in their performance. As the result of the habit of sinning, formed in this life, a tendency to repeat acts of sin is carried on the sinner into a future world; and every such act repeated in that world not only perpetuates, but increases the tendency to further acts of the same kind: and thus, as by every repeated act the tendency to sin is increased, and as every act also brings with it its own punishment, so, by the laws of man's mental and moral nature, the sinner's progress in both sin and suffering in a future world, is like that of a falling body, which increases its velocity as the square of the distance increase through which it falls. There is, therefore, just as little probability that a sinner, left to himself in a future world, should repent and turn to God, as that a falling body should arrest itself in its downward course, and ascend to the elevation from which it fell...surely the assumption that out doctrine supposes that God punishes sinners eternally for sins committed in this brief and frail life is wholly gratuitous." Alexander Campbell, "Five discourses on Hell," April 9, 1848, Daniel Davies Publisher. Most members of the Christian Church and the church of Christ believe as Alexander Campbell.
• Protestant Traditionalist versions of Hell: Most who say they are orthodox and traditionalist believes the lost will be kept alive with some kind of punishment, but beyond this there is little agreement among them. Some believe much as did Jonathan Edwards and Calvin that there will be torment beyond anything that we can now know of and others who utterly repudiate Edward's Hell and only believe that there will be some kind of eternal punishment, but it may be nothing more then a little mental anguish or just being deprived of all good. Others are at all points between the two even when they are in the same denomination. From the top (the Calvin version) to its bottom (eternity existing but being deprived of all good, to forever lose everything that is good), in those who call themselves "traditionalists" there are a wide range of views; yet, they all say they are orthodox and traditionalist! Orthodox is a big blanket and growing bigger all the time. Even so, few if any who are orthodox and traditionalist believe the same and there is a world of difference in what is orthodox in the Protestants churches. Many who say they are orthodox do not believe in once saved always saved, infant baptism, Augustine's view on predestination, the millennium, and countless other differences in what is traditional and orthodox. Although they cannot agree among themselves over what is traditional, they attack all who do not believe in one of the many versions of "Hell" for not being orthodox or traditional and nonetheless accept many as being orthodox who believes in an entirely different "Hell" and even accept Premillennial which has many who do not believe in any version of Hell, or believe that Hell will be on this earth and will last for only a short time.
• Protestant Premillennial versions of Hell: From all the information I can find there are many more Protestants who believe in some form of premillennialism than not. Premillennial variations found in the Protestants churches are pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, partial-rapture, many mini-raptures, already past rapture, the tribulation period, historic premillennialism, post millennialists, dispensationalist, and many more. Most Premillennial versions of Hell are somewhat similar to either the Seventh-Day Advent Version of Hell or the Church of God Version of Hell. See "Seventh-Day Advent Version of Hell" and "Church of God (and others) Version of Hell" below. Many of the Premillennial versions of Hell are far from being what is thought of as being orthodox, but most all Premillennialists are thought of as being Protestant, orthodox and traditional. There may be more who are called orthodox who do not believe in a literal Hell or believe it to last for only a short time then there are who believe in an eternal Hell.
• Unorthodox in orthodox churches. It may come as a surprise to many that those who say they are orthodox Protestant but do not believe in Hell as a place of eternal torment that there are more who say that are orthodox Protestants who do believe Hell to be eternal torment than there are orthodox Protestants who do believe Hell to be a place of eternal torment. When US New says 53 percent of Americans believes Hell to be only mental anguish, most of that 53 percent are orthodox Protestant and this 53 percent is in addition to the many Protestant Premillennialists who do not believe Hell to be a place of eternal torment. When some say that is only Jehovah's Witnesses teaching, they seem to be blind to the fact that this is the teaching by far more than half of the orthodox Protestants and the number of orthodox Protestants who do not believe in the Jonathan Edwards or Calvin versions of Hell is by far greater then the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who do not believe in Hell. Much of what is accepted as orthodox today would have been called heresy 200 years ago by most all Protestant Churches. It does not matter what any groups believe or what is accepted as orthodox but what the Bible says for the Bible is the only authority.
• It came as a surprise to me, as I am sure it will be to many, that many orthodox Protestants plus a great many who may not be called orthodox, believe none of the saved will go to Heaven, but will live on this earth for eternity. Many Protestant Premillennialists believe this. It may also come as a surprise to many that those who say they are orthodox Protestant but do not believe Christ to be God but is a created being that did not exist before His birth. Many believe Him to be a chosen one by God and that He is now in Heaven but will come back to earth, set up the kingdom of God in Jerusalem and will rule the kingdom which will always be on this earth. It seems to be OK to not believe in Christ as being equal with God but not OK not to believe God to be crueler than any other being and will torment most forever.
• Realized Eschatology - The A. D. 70 version of Hell: I have found it difficult to pen down just what they believe. According to Samuel G. Dawson in "Jesus' Teaching On Hell." Hell is something the Catholic Church invented to scare people into obedience. They seem to believe that death is the end of those who are not faithful. There will be no second coming of Jesus, resurrection day, no judgment day, no day that the earth will end. All the Old Testament faithful was resurrected in A. D. 70 which they believe to have been the second coming of Christ and after that time each person judgment day, the second death of the lost and the resurrection to eternal life is at the moment of death. This seems to be their general teaching, but I am sure that are many variations within Realized Eschatology.
• Rephaim version of Hell: A version of Hell that is Protestant, but in no way can it be called orthodox or traditional although most who believe it call themselves both orthodox and traditional. God, angels and man (after death) are disembodied energy being capable of thought and speech without the need of a body. A full review of this version of Hell is given at the end of this section on the versions of Hell.

Abraham's bosom or the after judgment Hell, A newer version of Hell: This version is based almost entirely on an interpretation of Luke 16:19-31 (see chapter eight, part two). It is believed by most members of the Church of Christ, the Christian Church and some Protestants although it is not generally accepted as being Protestant and is definitely not orthodox or traditional. In this version all who do not obey Christ will go to Hell, but Hell will not be unto after the coming of Christ and the judgment; and no one goes to Heaven before the judgment [no instant rapture]. All are taken to an intermediate holding place where the lost are tormented, and the saved are rewarded in a place sometimes called "Abraham's bosom." Instead of Heaven and Hell, it is the good and bad side of hades, which God will take them out of to rejudge to see whether He made a mistake the first time and put them on the wrong side of hades. A baby who has not come to the age of accountability is not lost and will go to the good side of hades. After the judgment, God will personally do the tormenting. Satan and his angels and all the lost will be tormented together.

This view has two places where God is going to torture the lost. One side of hades that is a temporary place of torture and will last only unto the second coming of Christ, and "Hell" which will be a permanent place where God will torture most of mankind without end but no one is now in Heaven or Hell and will not be unto after the resurrection and judgment. This is the view that I have been taught from the time I became a Christian and believed it a long time. I have many books and tracts in which well-known preachers and teachers, such as H. Leo Boles, E. M. Zerr, B. W. Johnson, J. W. McGarvey, and many others who teach this view; but lately it seems to be dying out in the church and is being replaced by going to Heaven or Hell at death without the Resurrection or Judgment particularly at funerals where preachers often say the dead person is now in Heaven. Most all think of and speak of their loved ones as now being in Heaven or with Jesus, not in Abraham's bosom unto the judgment.

Edward Fudge version: The short Hell. He uses the name Hell as if it was a Bible name, but thinks it will have a limited time and will end with the total destruction of those in it. He may have Hell, and the wrath and fury of God at the judgment confused. Roger Dickson believes the duration of Hell will fit the crime and then will end. It will be short for some and longer for other. He says, "After the stripes have been given, then the destruction occurs for which there is no reverse" Page 162ff, "Life, Death And Beyond." Is he renaming the Judgment Day and calling it "Hell?" If I understand him right, he thinks the lost will go to Hell, but the not so bad will not be tormented as long as the very bad. After the "punishment matches the crime," he says they will then be destroyed [Page 163]. (1) "Shall be beaten with many stripes" [Luke 12:47]. This is used to prove there will be an end after the stripes. "Beaten with few stripes" could not be as long as "beaten with many stripes," therefore, could not take forever. Some will be tormented longer than others, but the torment will end with death for all. (2) This short Hell is different from the Church of God short Hell in that it may not be on this earth, and there will be no second chance.

In the Bible God limited "many stripes" to 40 lashes [Deuteronomy 25:3; Luke 12:47; Acts 16:23; 2 Corinthians 11:24]. Yet, this "many stripes" is used to prove that God will forever give stripes without end to those in Hell.

Christadelphians version of Hell: Those who never heard the Gospel will never be raised. Death is the end of them. Only those who heard the Gospel will be raised at the second coming of Christ and judged to see whether they were faithful. The faithful will have eternal life on Earth, which will be restored to be like Eden before Adam sinned. The unfaithful of those who heard the Gospel and were raised will be annihilated by the second death.

Church of God version of Hell (and others): Both Heaven and Hell will be on this earth. After the resurrection of earthly bodies on this restored earth, all will be given a second chance to accept Christ. Most will, but the few who will not will suffer the second death. Their torment will end in death from which there will never be a resurrection. The saved will be raised and live on the earth restored to the way it was before Adam sinned with a body like Adam before he was put out of the garden. No one will ever be in Heaven. I how not been able to find how they think Adam's body was different before he was put out of the garden than it was after. Many Premillennialists who are in most Protestant churches believe this version of Hell or one that is very similar to it.

Universalist version of Hell, The "age lasting" Hell: Hell will last for only an age; then all will be saved. Universalist calls it a time of "attitude adjustments," or "age-during correction." They do not see it as God torturing people in a literal lake or anything like that, they see it as simply as a time when God will be correcting or teaching them further unto they are fit for His kingdom. All will eventually end up in Heaven.

Seventh Day Advent version of Hell: They believe that at the second coming of Christ the unrighteous will be kill, the righteous will be taken back to Heaven for a 1,000 years. During the 1,000 years only Satan and his angels will inhabit the earth. At the end of the 1,000 years Christ will return to earth with the saved and the unrighteous will be raised for judgment. Satan gathers his angels and will the help of the resurrected unrighteous attempt to interfere with the judgment, they will be destroyed. The judgment and destruction of the lost will take place on this earth. Their Hell will be on this earth and will last only unto those in it are burned too ashes, the second death. The saved will live forever with earthly bodies on a restored earth on which there will be no evil. No one will ever be in Heaven. Just as with the Christ of God version of Hell many Premillennialists who are in most Protestant churches believe this version of Hell or one that is very similar to it. The number of those who are called Protestant but do not believe any of the orthodox Protestant versions of Hell is growing.

The grave is Hell version: The grave is Hell and all go to it at death. There is no knowledge or torment in this Hell, just sleep or death. Some from many different groups believe this version of Hell. They get support mostly from the older translations like the King James Version, and most who believe it think the newer translations that translate only Gehenna into Hell are wrong. They believe Gehenna is a trash dump, not Hell. This Hell is going on now with all the dead in it, both the good and the bad are asleep in it and it will wake up at the Resurrection. All are unconscious and there is no torment of the wicked or reward of the righteous in "Hell" where all the dead, both the good and the bad now are. In this version, Hell will end at the resurrection and there will be no Hell after the resurrection and judgment.

The Jehovah's Witnesses believe this version. They "believe that Hell is the 'common grave of mankind' where people go when they die. They are not conscious there." A. B. Robinson, September 1996 [A Jehovah's Witnesses]. "We do not have the word 'hell' in the NWT. We translate gehenna as gehenna, hades as hades and sheol as sheol. By doing this we can get the true import of these words. Gehenna is a garbage dump and sheol and hades often refer to the grave. We believe everyone who dies goes to 'hell' or sheol [hades]. The dead are unconscious, asleep if you will [Ecc 9:5,19 and 1 Thes 4:13-16] and will remain such until they are resurrected. We also believe that 'hell' will be emptied, as is clearly stated in Rev 20:13. The persons who were in hell, both the righteous and the unrighteous [Acts 24:15] will be resurrected and judged. Those who are deserving of it will then be thrown into the lake of fire, the second death [Rev 20:14,15]." Brian Holt in an E-mail to me. He says "JW's do not have the word "hell" in the NWT," then says everyone who dies goes to Hell. In today's English Hell has come to mean a place of eternal torment after death, and to translate hades into Hell is an untrue translation. The grave is Hell was not the intentions of the translators who first put the word "Hell" into the Bible, then he says it is not the way it would have been understood by English speaking people then or today.

I have been told that what I believe "is what Jehovah's Witnesses have been teaching for years." One person said to me, "You believe the same thing Jehovah's Witnesses believe. Why don't you join them and leave us alone?" ONE WRITER SAID, "A NEW STANDARD OF TRUTH HAS BEEN FOUND. IF THE OCCULTS OR LIBERALS BELIEVE IT, THEN IT IS WRONG." The problem with this is that most all denominations, whether they are occults, liberals, or whatever, teach many things that the Bible teaches and many that the Bible does not teach. Nothing is right or wrong because a denomination teaches it, not even right or wrong if the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination teaches it. It is right if the Bible teaches it or wrong if the Bible does not teach it. Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses, Church of God, and all others each teach many things that the Bible teaches and each one teaches many things that it does not teach. Anything is right if the Bible teaches it even if the Jehovah's Witnesses teach it and wrong if the Bible does not teach it. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TEACH ADULTERY IS A SIN; IS IT WRONG TO TEACH THAT ADULTERY IS A SIN BECOUSE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TEACH IT TO BE? To say, "That is what the Jehovah's Witnesses teach," is said for the same reason the Baptist says, "That is water salvation" or "That is Campbellism." THEIR REAL PROBLEM IS NOT THAT ONE OF THE OCCULTS TEACH IT, BUT THAT THEY HAVE NO OTHER ANSWER AND KNOW THAT THEY CAN TURN MANY OFF JUST BY SAYING "THAT IS WHAT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES TEACH" JUST AS THE BAPTIST DID WITH "THAT IS WATER SALVATION."

Why? What is the real reason they say that is Jehovah's Witnesses teaching? I think one reason is that they just do not want to deal with it. Do not want to take the time. Another reason is the same reason the Baptist call us "Campbellism" and say, "You believe in water salvation." They could not show that a person can be saved without baptism, therefore, they would say, "You believe in water salvation" for they know this would make others prejudice and not believe the Bible. Now the same thing is being done to anyone who does not believe in Hell by saying, "You are nothing but a Jehovah's Witnesses." EVEN THOUGH WHAT I BELIEVE IS FAR FROM WHAT THE JEHOVAH'S TEACH, SOME SAY TO ME, "YOU BELIEVE WHAT THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BELIEVE." They believe there is a Hall, but it is going on now, and I do not believe the Bible says anything about any kind of Hell; not one that is going on now or will be at any time after death. The truth is that if Jehovah's Witnesses did believe as I do (they do not, but even if they did) as long as the Bible teaches it, I would not care if it were what they believed, but would say that it is great that they believe the Bible on that point, and would wish that they believed the Bible on all points. If you made two lists, one a list of things any denomination believes that is not in the Bible, and a list of things it believes that is in the Bible, both lists would be long. The persons who say "That is Jehovah's Witnesses teaching" believes many of the same things that would be on the list of things the Jehovah's Witnesses believes. But, I must say that what I believe the Bible teaches is far from what the Jehovah's Witnesses teach. THEY BELIEVE IN A HELL THAT IS GOING ON NOW, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THE BIBLE SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT A HELL AT ANY TIME, NOT NOW, NOT AFTER DEATH, AND NOT AFTER THE JUDGMENT.

Some of the many things Jehovah's Witnesses teach that I do not believe.

1. Jesus was not the Son of God

2. The Millennium

3. Only 144,000 will go to Heaven

4. All the rest of the saved will live forever on this earth for all eternality

5. They don't believe in blood transfusions

6. Hell is the grave and all the dead are now in Hell. Unfortunately, it is not true that they do not believe in Hell but believe Hell is now going on. The more there are that do not believe that God slandering teaching the better, but, they do believe in Hell, just not one of the many orthodox Protestant versions of Hell although many Premillennialists who are called orthodox Protestants believe as they do, that Hell is the grave. Unto the resurrection death is death, not any kind of life anyplace.

7. And many others.

IF "THAT IS WHAT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BELIEVES" MAKES ANYTHING WRONG, IT IS SUCH A BROAD ARGUMENT THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE BIBLE THAT IS NOT DESTROYED BY IT FOR THERE IS NO BIBLE TEACHING THAT IS NOT BELIEVED BY MANY FLASE RELIGIONS.

PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THIS VERSION OF HELL. Sheol is translated Hell in the King James Version thirty-one times and grave thirty-one times. It puts all in Hell or the grave together, both the good and the bad, where they will be unto the resurrection. If one believes the mistranslation of the King James Version, then he or she must believe the grave is Hell version of Hell for it is clearly taught in the Old Testament of the King James Version. The Jehovah's Witnesses and others who believe this version have all the proof they need in the mistranslation in the King James Version.

Latter-day Saints version of Hell [Mormons]: They believe in three Heavens that they call Kingdoms, Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdoms. They believe in a Hell, but only a very few, the sons of perdition, will be in it forever. They are those that were once faithful Mormons but become apostates and left the Mormon Church. All will be raised from the dead. Except for the sons of perdition, most of those in Hell will in time pass out of it into the lowest Telestial Kingdom and will be there forever, even those who are not Mormons, but those who are not Mormons can go no higher then the lower Telestial Kingdom.

Rephaim version of Hell - One of the Protestant versions of Hell: This version of Hell is Protestant. As far as I have been able to find no one teaches it but those who are called orthodox Protestants, but it cannot be called traditional or orthodox. Rephaim is in the Hebrew Old Testament eight times and is translated dead seven times and deceased one time in the King James Version, and is defined in some Lexicons as "departed spirits," "shades," "shadows," "ghosts," "name of the dead in sheol."

FIVE OF THE EIGHT ARE IN THE POETICAL BOOKS.

1. Job 26:5-6 "They that are deceased (rephaim) tremble beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof. Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon ("Destruction" New International Version) has no covering."

2. Psalms 88:10-12 "Will you show wonders to the dead (rephaim)? Shall they that are deceased arise and praise you? Shall your loving kindness be declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in destruction?"

3. Proverbs 2:18-19 "For her ("adulteress" New American Standard Version) house sinks down to death, and her tracks lead to the dead; (rephaim) none who go to her return again, neither do they reach the paths of life."

4. Proverbs 9:18-19 "But he knows not that the dead (rephaim) are there; that her (the foolish woman or adulteress) guests are in the depths of Sheol."

5. Proverbs 21:16 "The man that wandered out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the dead" (rephaim).

All five refer to the lost and speak of their death, deceased, destruction, dead, not attaining unto the paths of life, resting with the dead. The dead are simply spoken of as being dead. Nothing is said about them being alive some other place, nothing about a soul or a spirit that lives after the death of the body. THERE IS NOTHING IN ANY OF THE FIVE PASSAGES ABOVE THAT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANYONE BEING ALIVE IN HEAVEN, HELL, OR ABRAHAM'S BOSOM AT ANY TIME, NOT BEFORE OR AFTER THE JUDGMENT.

THREE OF THE EIGHT ARE IN ISAIAH. This is a book of many symbols, much like Revelation.

(1) Isaiah 14:9-11 "Sheol from beneath is moved for you to meet you at your coming: it rises up the dead (rephaim) for you, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall answer and say unto you, Have you also become weak as we: have you become like unto us? Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of your viols: the worm is spread under you, and worms cover you." This is a description of the fall of Babylon and has nothing to do with a part of a person after death. In this metaphor, the past dead nations, nations that no longer existed were surprised to see a nation as strong as Babylon joining them. If the dead were alive, why would the dead in sheol be surprised to see another person join them when all that die would join them? It would make no sense if they were surprised to see anyone joining them. Even the trees join in with the dead nations and talk [14:8]. Only in a metaphor can past nations that are dead, that no longer exist, and trees talk [Isaiah 14:8].

In this passage Rephaim (one word) is translated:

· “The dead” (two words) in both the King James and the New King James

· “The spirits of the dead” (five words from one word) in the New American Standard even though “ruach” (spirit) is not in the Hebrew

· “The spirits of the departed” (five words from one word) in the New International Version. It also added spirits even though it is not in the Hebrew

· “The ancient dead” (three words from one word) in the Revised English Bible even though there is not a word in the Hebrew that is even remotely kin to “ancient”

(2) Isaiah 26:14 "They [the Nations] are dead (rephaim), they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore have you visited and destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish." This is about nations that did not remember God. It has nothing to do with an "immaterial, invisible part of man" after death. It is hard to believe this passage is used to prove that a person has an immortal immaterial, invisible part of a person for if it were speaking of this part of a person then that part of a person is dead, deceased, shall not rise (no resurrection), and all remembrance of them has been made to perish. If this were an immortal soul, it would be nothing like the immoral soul of today's theology, it would teach there is no life or resurrection after death but some use this passage anyway to prove that there is life for all after dead in either Heaven or Hell.

(3) Isaiah 26:19 "Your dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust; for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead" (rephaim). The nation that was dead, was not a nation but a slave in bondage to another nation because they had left God, had repented and was being restored.

WHAT DO MANY BELIEVE? These passages are used to prove all, both the good and the evil souls are "rephaim." Many who believe the dead go to Heaven or Hell at death use it although it would make the dead not be in Heaven or Hell, as they believe the immaterial, invisible part of a person will be after death.

1. The Protestant version is that the dead are now in Heaven or Hell.

2. The after judgment version is that the dead are now in hades with some on the good side of hades and some on the bad side, but they use these passages and have the dead being in three places simultaneously.

3. The rephaim version is that both the good and the bad are together and exist only as shades or shadows not in Heaven or Hell. Yet, those who believe the Protestant version or the newer after judgment version of Hell sometimes use "rephaim" to prove "Hell" even though it would put all the dead together and not where they believe them to be, AND DEFINITELY NOTHING LIKE THE IMMORTAL SOUL OF TODAY'S THEOLOGY. The attack on Hell that is coming from many in most all churches is forcing them to take views not many Christians believe. It seems to be used only by those who are trying to prove a person has an immortal soul but are hard pushed to find any passage to prove it.

Which way do they go? "Rephaim" is used in both the Protestant and the after judgment versions of Hell in a way that does not agree with what they believe and teach; both believe that the saved will be in their eternal home with Christ in Heaven at death or comforted in Abraham's bosom; but both step away from their belief and say at death both the saved and unsaved are together, and both have only a weak shadowy existence and will have this shadowy existence unto the resurrection. Even if we did grant that rephaim is the "immaterial, invisible part of man" after death, it would contradict their beliefs about the "soul" being in Heaven, Hell, or Abraham's bosom. It makes all the dead be "shades" "shadows." Anyway you look at it, the eight times rephaim is used does more to refute the belief of going to Heaven or Abraham's bosom at death than it does to support them. They use rephaim in a way that contradicts what they believe, also in a way that contradicts the Bible teaching of death being a sleep. Are they so desperately in need of proof that a person has an immaterial, invisible part that can never die that they reach for anything even if it is far from what they believe and want to find?

Robert Morey, an orthodox Protestant, has written one of the most accepted and used books in defense of the doctrine of Hell that has come out in recent years. In his book he makes an argument for Hell which I think shows just how desperate he is for any kind of proof. In "Death And The Afterlife," On page 79 he says FROM THE MEANING OF REPHAIM, WHEN THE BODY DIES, MAN ENTERS A NEW KIND OF EXISTENCE. HE THEN WILL EXIST AS A SPIRIT CREATURE AND EXPERIENCES WHAT ANGELS AND OTHER SPIRITS EXPERIENCE. JUST AS ANGELS ARE DISINCARNATE ENERGY BEINGS AND ARE COMPOSED ONLY OF MIND OR MENTAL ENERGY AND ARE CAPABLE OF THOUGHT AND SPEECH WITHOUT THE NEED OF AN EARTHLY BODY, WHEN MAN DIES, HE BECOMES A DISEMBODIED ENERGY BEING AND IS CAPABLE OF THOUGHT AND SPEECH WITHOUT THE NEED OF BODY. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to prove that the "immaterial, invisible part of man" has some kind of life somewhere before and without the resurrection. NOT A ONE OF THE EIGHT PASSAGES REPHAIM IS USED IN SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT A REPHAIM BEING LIKE GOD AND ANGELS. He must have made that up out of thin air and hoped you would not see it is not in any of the eight passages.

I wonder if he sees how low he is making God if God were like the rephaim in the eight passages? That he is making God be only "shades," "shadows," "ghosts," "name of the dead in sheol."

1. HE HAS MADE GOD BE NOTHING MORE THAN AN "ENERGY BEING," NOTHING MORE THAN MENTAL THOUGHTS WITH NO SUBSTANCE. He has made God, angels, and mankind after the judgment to be nothing more than mental thoughts. Although he did not mention God, he has reduced God to being nothing more than thoughts, an "energy being." Morey's God has no body, no substance of any kind. Therefore, Morey's Heaven can exist only in the mind of God. It cannot be a real place.

2. HE HAS MADE GOD WEAK. He has made, man and angels be disembodied energy being capable of thought and speech without the need of body and they are described as "Are you also become weak as we: have you become like unto us?" "God is a Spirit" [John 4:24]; he has spirits without bodies described as weak and being nothing more than mental thoughts, which according to him would include God being described as weak and being nothing more than mental thoughts. Is his God just weak mental thoughts; is that what your God is like?

3. HE HAS MADE THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN A PERSON AFTER DEATH AND GOD TO BE ONLY A DIFFERENCE IN INTELLIGENCE. Both are nothing but mind. Thomas Jefferson in a letter to John Adams in 1820 said, "To say that God, angels, and the human soul, are immaterial, is to say they are nothing. At what age of the church the heresy of immaterialism crept in, I do not know; but a heresy is certainly is--Jesus taught nothing of it."

4. HE HAS MADE GOD LIMITED: There is no way out for those who believe an immortal spirit is now within a person for this spirit could have no solid substance of any kind. If it did, then it could not now be inside of a person. God is spirit; therefore, according to Morey, God cannot have any substance, He must, then be only thoughts without a body. This has not entered the mind of most who believe a person now has an immortal spirit in him and if it did most would reject it, but their belief that an immortal spirit is now in a person, means a person, God, and all heavenly being are nothing more than thoughts without a body. Robert Morey and others who try to prove a person has an immortal spirit in him has been pushed into this belief. The belief that a person has a dual nature dictates what they can believe about the nature of God. They believe the immortal spirit in a person cannot be seen for it has no substance, therefore, because God is spirit, then He can have no substance; He can be only a mind with no body.

o He has developed Plato's doctrine that the body is a prison to the soul, which is set free by the death of the body, far beyond what Plato ever did. To put the soul (an "energy being" "mind") back in a body at the resurrection would be to put it back in a prison.

o Also, Morey's Hell could only be mental anguish. There would be no body to torment. He has made it impossible for Hell to be anything more than mental pain. Only something in the mind of persons who are nothing but mind. None of the other "orthodox Protestant" version of Hell could be possible, therefore, what most Protestants have believed for centuries was wrong.

o He has made Paul not know what he was talking about when he said, "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body...there is also a spiritual body" (1 Corinthians 15:44). He cannot believe in the resurrection. How could he when he has made a person after death be composed only of "mind," just as he says the angels and God now are composed only of mind? There could not be a mortal that "must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:54), for his "energy being" is just as it will always be, and like God and angels now are. There cannot be a resurrection of any kind of body, not one in the image of Adam or in the image of Christ. Not the earthly body or the new spiritual body for there will be nothing but "mind." There cannot be a resurrection of the "mind or mental energy" for at death it will be just as it will always be; therefore, THERE COULD NOT BE ANY KIND OF RESURRECTION.

o If the spiritual body that we will have is nothing but "mind," how is it that we do not now have the spiritual body? Do we not now have "mind"? Will the "mind" that we will have then, the spiritual body that we will put on at the resurrection [1 Corinthians 15:42-54], which according to Morey will be nothing but "mind," not be the same "mind" that we now have?

WHAT IS THEIR NO SUBSTANCE SOUL? What could it be if it has no substance? God made all things out of nothing. If the soul has no substance, it is still nothing. Are they saying God made nothing out of nothing? And this God who made nothing out of nothing is Himself nothing.

"The Hebrew rephaim denotes those who have 'sunk' to the unseen abode, descending into Hades as the sun goes down to a fiery death in the west; the rephaim are those who 'sank,' vanished, disappeared, passed away, departed. The best translation would be 'the departed.'" Paul Haupt "American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literature"

NOTE: I have tried to give the views of the majority in each in the above versions of Hell. In each of them, there are some individuals and/or small groups who believe in a variation of that believed by the majority.

WHICH HELL DO YOU BELIEVE IN?

The doctrine of Hell is forever changing, and therefore, it is difficult to say just what it is. It is very different from one time to another, and from one denomination to another.

SOME BELIEVE:

· 1). SOME BELIEVE SATAN IS THE TORMENTER. According to Jonathan Edwards and most Hell fire preachers; Satan will be doing the tormenting of all that are in Hell forever.

· 2). SOME BELIEVE GOD IS THE TORMENTER. Today many believe God will be doing the tormenting.

· 3). Some denominations believe it will be on this earth.

· 4). Others believe that it will last for a while; but will end with all that are in Hell being saved and going to Heaven.

· 5). Some believe that it will only last unto the ones in it have paid for their sins, and then they will be destroyed.

· 6). Some believe it is hot.

· 7). Some believe that it is cold.

· 8). Some believe it is dark.

· 9). Some believe it is Metaphorical, it is not literally hot, cold or dark; we cannot understand what it is really like and are given pictures to tell us how bad it is.

· 10). Some believe that Hell is only mental anguish.

· 11). Some believe that it is a place of separation from God without any torment from God.

· 12). Some believe that it is under the earth.

· 13). Some believe it is who knows where. Most, but not all, now realize there is not a place of torment under the earth and have moved it. Now who knows where they think it is, maybe somewhere out in space.