Hell:
What does the word hell mean?
Hell is a nether world in which the dead continue to exist. It is a place where the damned suffer eternal punishment for their sins.
Note: The word Hell in any Bible is a deliberate mistranslation for the Hebrew and Greek words which are: Gehenna; Hades; Sheol; and Tartarus. The correct translations have been removed from most of our Bibles, and the word hell has been inserted instead. This blasphemous mistranslation was inserted for theological purposes. The Hebrew and Greek language does contain the word ‘hell’, but cannot be found in any manuscript of the Bible.
The words Sheol and Hades should have been used in the Old Testament. Not the words hell, grave, pit, etc.
Note all of the following verses with incorrect translations.
Hebrew: Gen. 37:35, Gen. 42:38, Gen. 44:29, Gen. 44:31, Num. 16:30, Num. 16:33, Deut. 32:22, 1 Sam. 2:6, 1 Ki. 2:6, 1 Ki. 2:9, 1 Ki. 3:1, Est. 3:13, Job 7:9, Job 11:8, Job 14:13, Job 17:13, Job 17:16, Job 21:13, Job 26:6, Job 33:22, Job 38:17, Ps. 6:5, Ps. 9:17, Ps. 16:10, Ps. 18:5, Ps. 30:3, Ps. 31:17, Ps. 49:14, Ps. 49:15, Ps. 55:15, Ps. 86:13, Ps. 88:3, Ps. 89:48, Ps. 94:17, Ps. 116:3, Ps. 139:8, Ps. 141:7, Prov. 1:12, Prov. 2:18, Prov. 5:5, Prov. 7:27, Prov. 9:18, Prov. 14:12, Prov. 15:11, Prov. 15:24, Prov. 16:25, Prov. 27:20, Prov. 30:16, Eccl. 9:10, Isa. 5:14, Isa. 14:9, Isa. 14:11, Isa. 14:15, Isa. 14:19, Isa. 28:15, Isa. 28:18, Isa. 38:10, Isa. 38:18, Isa. 57:9, Ezek. 31:15, Ezek. 31:16, Ezek. 31:17, Ezek. 32:27, Hos. 13:14, Amos 9:2, Jon. 2:2, Hab. 2:5
Greek: Gen. 37:35, Gen. 42:38, Gen. 44:29, Gen. 44:31, Num. 16:30, Num. 16:33, Deut. 32:22, 1 Sam. 2:6, 1 Ki. 2:6, 1 Ki. 2:9, 1 Ki. 2:35, Est. 3:13, Ps. 6:6, Ps. 9:18, Ps. 15:10, Ps. 17:6, Ps. 29:4, Ps. 30:18, Ps. 48:15, Ps. 48:16, Ps. 54:16, Ps. 85:13, Ps. 87:4, Ps. 88:49, Ps. 93:17, Ps. 113:25, Ps. 114:3, Ps. 138:8, Ps. 140:7, Prov. 1:12, Prov. 2:18, Prov. 5:5, Prov. 7:27, Prov. 9:18, Prov. 14:12, Prov. 15:11, Prov. 15:24, Prov. 16:25, Prov. 27:20, Prov. 30:16, Eccl. 9:10, Job 7:9, Job 11:8, Job 14:13, Job 17:13, Job 17:16, Job 21:13, Job 26:6, Job 33:22, Job 38:17, Hos. 13:14, Amos 9:2, Jon. 2:3, Hab. 2:5, Isa. 5:14, Isa. 14:9, Isa. 14:11, Isa. 14:15, Isa. 14:19, Isa. 28:15, Isa. 28:18, Isa. 38:10, Isa. 38:18, Isa. 57:9, Ezek. 31:15, Ezek. 31:16, Ezek. 31:17, Ezek. 32:27.
Note: The correct words Gehenna and Hades should have been used in all of the New Testament translations in the following verses.
Gehenna: Matt. 5:22, Matt. 5:29, Matt. 5:30, Matt. 10:28, Matt. 18:9, Matt. 23:15, Matt. 23:33, Mk. 9:43, Mk. 9:45, Mk. 9:47, Lk. 12:5, and Jam. 3:6.
Hades: Matt. 11:23, Matt. 16:18, Lk. 10:15, Lk. 16:23, Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31, Rev. 1:18, Rev. 6:8, Rev. 20:13, Rev. 20:14
Note: All of the previous verses should be re-read so one can fully understand what the Bible is saying, teaching, meaning, and describing. Then we will know what Gehenna, Hades and Sheol really are, as opposed to un-Godly theological teachings.
Hell is a deliberate mistranslation for: the grave, Tartarus, Gehenna, Sheol, and Hades.
If hell is a place as traditionally taught, then where does the Bible say or imply where hell is? Theology teaches that it could be on the moon, in the middle of the earth, another dimension, on earth, on the sun, etc.? Many people believe this nonsense.
What is death?
Death is the absence of life; the end of life; extinction. Death is not an everlasting existence in some eternal fire. Death is death.
The traditional teaching that a person or the spirit of a person is alive in an eternal fire is contrary to the teaching of God and Jesus Christ.
How can one say and/or believe that “God is love”, but that He will torture human beings for eternity? That is an oxy-moron and un-Godly nonsense.
Eternal life is eternal life. To be eternally dead is to never be alive again. One that does not receive everlasting life will receive everlasting death, not an eternal hell fire.
Is the story of Lazarus and the rich man reality, or is it a parable?
Many insist that the allegory [found in Luke 16:19-30] is not a parable, but a true literal story that was told by Christ to describe the condition for those that are, or will be in an eternal hell fire.
One must overlook several Biblical facts to come to that conclusion. Following are just a few.
Jesus never said that the rich man was an unrepentant sinner, and did not accuse the rich man of any sin. Jesus only stated that he was a wealthy man who lived in luxury.
Jesus did not say or imply that the rich man was in hell. He said he was in ‘Hades’ [which is not hell].
Jesus also did not say that he deserved to be there.
Jesus did not state that Lazarus was a righteous man. Lazarus was only described as one who was poor, laid on the porch, longing for crumbs and was plagued with sores.
Jesus did not say or imply that Lazarus deserved to be in Abraham’s bosom, or that this was a place implied as heaven or the Kingdom of God.
If this story is not a parable, and is literal, then would not the logical conclusion be (as this story is told) that all the rich are destined to burn in a place called Hades, while all the homeless with ailments, that are hungry and destitute, will be in a place called Abraham’s bosom?
If a real, literal place called hell is true, then those in Abraham’s bosom (heaven) would be able to see the lost who are tormented, burning, screaming, begging, crying and suffering for eternity.
Questions:
How could anyone [unless insane] enjoy eternal existence if they were able to see lost love ones, friends, family members and other acquaintances being tormented and incinerated in a place called hell, (and never burning up)?
If hell (as it is traditionally taught) is an abyss of fire and brimstone where sinners are tormented day and night forever with no rest; how could anyone believe that one drop of water would relieve any kind of pain and anguish of someone suffering in its flames?
Note: Would not that be the same thing as one drop of water raising the ocean level?
Why is it so unimportant and/or difficult for some to believe and understand what the Bible says, and accept the Biblical fact that this is a parable?
Where is just one Bible verse, stating or even implying that this is not a parable, but literal? [ Not three verses, nor two; just one.]
Note: If this was a true story, then would not other stories taught by Christ be literal and not allegorical?
If not, who has the Biblical authority to determine what is a parable and what is not?
If the parables taught by Christ are just that, then shouldn’t one view them as an analogy that Jesus used to teach larger spiritual truths?
How does the Bible explain the way Jesus spoke to the people?
Matthew 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.
Luke 8:10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
Note: The Pharisees were present when the parable was given. True; his followers and the disciples were there also, and were granted to know the mysteries, but did not always understand.
Mark 4:10 And as soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, asking Him about the parables.
:13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?
If hell is not Biblical, then what is the origin of this doctrine?
One of the earliest recorded historical accounts was from Zoroaster. He was a Persian prophet and religious poet from the mid-5th century BC.
Note: Zoroastrianism is only one source of many ancient historical accounts that proclaimed a doctrine for a place identified as hell.
Some of the earliest records of ancient religions in Babylon, Persia and Greece all refer to a place where the souls of people who have died go to stay.
This was often depicted as somewhere deep underground.
Note: The first teachings were about an underground world that was a place where greater gods exiled lesser gods.
For one example, Ahriman [an evil spirit] , from the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, implies that a lesser god took up residence beneath the Earth in the House of the Lie, amid every sort of filth and stench, after being defeated by the supreme god, Ahura Mazda.
But the idea that this land of the dead was reserved to punish wrongdoers didn’t arise until some time in the first millennium BC, with the belief that this subterranean world was ruled by a diabolical god (devil).
Many [if not all] of the early Church Fathers [200 AD and beyond] promoted the myth of a literal burning hell, without any regards to the Scriptures. (They also embraced many other pagan, Gnostic teachings.)
Note: Moloch, the god to whom child sacrifices were made throughout the ancient Middle East, was Lord of a subterranean kingdom of flaming lava.
[Also note, that nowhere in the Bible is there any verse about a Devil ruling hell.]
When the ancient Israelite s; [those living in the North after the division of the nation] abandoned God and followed after false prophets just before their captivity, their new anti-God religion depicted Belial, a demon god, as Lord of the Abyss, an undersea pit. [Zoroastrianism also taught them that it wasn't their sins that was causing their captivity and their nation to be invaded, but the fault of a Devil.]
Around the 6th century AD, Catholic Christianity modified the ‘grave’ concept, inventing a vision of Hell (an Old English word meaning “covered place”) that has endured even till today: a place where the sinful are sent to burn in eternal fire.
Other early Christian writings [mixed with Gnosticism] were detrimental to this myth.
Note: A lot of the stories of the bible are erroneously explained by mythology. Some even precede the writing and formation of the bible.
These stories were explained from the common man’s mythology in order to persuade them into the Christian faith.
One example is Christmas. The Christian placement of Christ’s birth at the winter solstice was to incorporate the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice – the tree, and yule log etc. and are all originally from pagan traditions. [See: Christmas.]
Some early historians promoted the doctrine of hell, and explained why.
Polybius, an ancient historian from the Hellenistic period (203–120 BC). In his book called ‘The Histories’ in the period of 220–146 BC. he states:
“Since the multitude is ever fickle, full of lawless desires, irrational passions and violence, there is no other way to keep them in order but by the fear and terror of the invisible world; on which account our ancestors seem to me to have acted judiciously, when they contrived to bring into the popular belief these notions of the gods, and of the infernal regions.”
The Greek historian Strabo,, (63/64 BC – ca. AD 24) stated:
“The multitude are restrained from vice by the punishments the gods are said to inflict upon offenders, and by those terrors and threatenings which certain dreadful words and monstrous forms imprint upon their minds…For it is impossible to govern the crowd of women, and all the common rabble, by philosophical reasoning, and lead them to piety, holiness and virtue – but this must be done by superstition, or the fear of the gods, by means of fables and wonders; for the thunder, the aegis, the trident, the torches (of the Furies), the dragons, &c., are all fables, as is also all the ancient theology. These things the legislators used as scarecrows to terrify the childish multitude.”
There are many more that could be listed, but hasn’t the point been made?
Why is the doctrine of hell fear mongering?
By perpetuating the myth of hell, and to embed the fear of eternal punishment into ones mind will keep church attendance up, and keeps one following church doctrines.
It is the religious theologians, preachers, and so-called Bible teachers that promote the fear of ‘hell fire’ in order to scare people into a religious ideology.
Summary
Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, the grave, and Tartarus are places for the dead. They are the grave or a burning dump.
The Bible does not say, mean, or imply that anyone can be physically or spiritually alive in a fire, in a place called hell.
Hell is a traditional myth of an eternal place of fire and torment.
The teaching and doctrine of an eternal hell fire is extra-biblical, and un-Biblical, and is contrary to God’s Word.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is just that; a parable.
Note: There will always be those that will stubbornly adhere to their own ideas, beliefs, religious faith, teachings, and traditions. In spite of any evidence or proof, they will not alter their point of view because it is what they want to believe.
For all who insist that hell is not a myth, these questions are asked:
1. Where are the Bible verses that prove that a hell fire exists when the word ‘hell’ cannot be found in any text of the Bible?
2. Why is it so very important that a place as awful as hell exist?
3. Would one feel better if God were to establish a hell fire?
4. What kind of ‘god’ do you believe and have faith in that would allow billions of people to be born, just to die and eternally suffer in a place like hell?
The Bible does not even imply a mythical hell. Hell is a traditional myth.
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