What EXACTLY is HELL???

[Meketa]

Well it was the Hell-fire doctrine that started my quest for truth. There is nothing in love, that could ever condone such a belief. Love by its very nature would seek to save, what the hell-doctrine seeks to destroy.

Many believe that Hell is a hellish fiery pit where they believe our loving God will burn millions if not billions of His children in immeasurable pain forever. Could such a horrific belief have any Scriptural foundation? No, just plain and simple no.

Please take comfort in the following words of Jesus.
From the Darby bible: John 12:32. and I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me.

And now Paul.

I Tim. 4:9-10  "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who IS THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN, specially of those that believe.

Yes, I totally trust in the living God who is the savior of all men, women and children specially those that believe and also that I recognize this as a faithful saying worthy of never being forgotten. Is this not the actions of a loving God, worthy of all love and nothing else from each of us?
Now many will totally disagree with this, saying that I am twisting the truth. Yet have I not quoted from the Scripture word for word. I have not even given you an opinion. They say this because they pick and they choose what they want to believe to please their itching ears.

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

This is not surprising because Jesus himself said that few will find the path to righteousness though many will claim that they have. Yet, Jesus has given each of us a great foundation.

1Cr 3:11. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Cr 3:12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
1Cr 3:13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work.
1Cr 3:14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
1Cr 3:15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Many times people have told me that this could not possibly happen, yet Paul clearly states that though this person, loses everything, this person will be saved as if by fire.

What fire?

Hbr 12:29 For our God [is] a consuming fire.

Yes, God is the "Spiritual" fire that will burn for ever, for all eternity. Nothing or no one will ever extinguish Him. One can see that the fire of God is just like the supposed Hell fire. Does this mean that the fire will burn away man's sinful nature forever? Of course not, as Paul stated above: the fire will burn only while there are impurities to burn. Just like a fire burning in a forest, it can only burn while there is something to burn.

But what is the real purpose of this fire? Not what you might assume. Read on.

Mal 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.

Yes, every impurity will be washed away, and Gods children ALL OF THEM NOT A SELECT FEW. will be as pure as white snow.

Ah, many will now wonder about the word "Punish" but did you know that Jesus never used the word in any of the Gospels. In fact the King James Version only has the word "punish" mentioned once in the Greek Scriptures (New Testament).

Act 4:21   So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

Strong's Concordance gives a very interesting meaning to word:
Punish (G2849)
a) to lop or prune, as trees and wings
b) to curb, check, restrain
c) to chastise, correct, punishment
d) to cause to be punished

Do you find it surprising that "punishment" is only the 3rd rendering? Even then it falls behind,

Chastise and Correct. Could it be possible that the word "punishment", should actually be "correction?" Fits perfectly with the all Consuming Fire of God, correcting each individual by burning up everything that is not based in LOVE.

Paul never used the word Punish. In fact did you catch what he really said earlier?

1Cr 3:13 their *** WORK *** will be shown for what it is......

It is "our" work that will shown for what it is, not "us!" We will be cleansed, corrected. Now this might not be pleasant, but it is not going to last forever and we will be purified because of it.

Jesus is the great shepherd and he spoke of this.

Luk 15:2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
Luk 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
Luk 15:4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
Luk 15:5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
Luk 15:6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

Jesus is the Great Shepherd, He will not cease searching until the last person is found and bought back into his fold.

But then, what of Revelation and all of the horrors mentioned there?

As already shown, Revelation might not mean what has been commonly believed. Would you believe that God's Word provides a clear path of events. There is life after Revelation, life for all.

Darby Translation:
Col 1:25 of which I became minister, according to the dispensation of God which [is] given me towards you to complete the word of God,

Yes, Paul was commissioned to complete the Word of God. Not John.

Heresy? Hardly, because we have the Scriptures that agree.

"In the book of Revelation we do not have the final plan of God. Paul, in 1 Cor. 15:22-28 takes us much further into the future than does the book of Revelation. To illustrate this more clearly, study the following: 1 Cor. 15:22-28 as compared with the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 20, 21 & 23

In 1 Cor. 15:22-28, we have:
* No more rule
* No more authority
* No more power
* No more enemies
* No more reigning
* All subjected
* No more death, death destroyed.
* All made alive, immortal

In Revelation 20, 21 & 22, we have:
* Still rule (20:6; 22:5)
* Son still reigns (22:1-5; 11:5)
* Authority (21:24,25)
* Power (21:24,25; 22:2)
* Kings (21:24-26)
* Saints reign (22:5)
* Second death still exists (21:5)
* The nations still mortal (22:2)

Consequently, Col. 1:16-20:
* All in heaven and earth created in Him (verse 16)
* All for Him (verse 16)
* All estranged are reconciled (verse 20)

Romans 5:18-21 (Darby)
18 so then as it was by one offence towards all men to condemnation, so by one righteousness towards all men for justification of life. 19 For as indeed by the disobedience of the one man the many have been constituted sinners, so also by the obedience of the one the many will be constituted righteous. 20 But law came in, in order that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded grace has overabounded, 21 in order that, even as sin has reigned in the power of death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We can find much comfort in the above Scripture. Did you notice that Paul speaks of the same many? If the word (the) was not used it would simply state 'many' however, it does not, it states everyone, 'the many.'

I hope you can find peace and comfort in all that I have presented here. I have not taken anything out of context. The concept of Hell that is preached in Churches across the world is simply a lie.
I will leave you with this. If God, having created man and allowed man to fall into the hands of Satan, then openly punishes many millions in a way too graphic for words. Is then God not committing acts more horrendous than Satan has ever committed? One simply will not find anywhere, acts performed by Satan that come anywhere near horrendous or quanative as many attribute to the future acts of God. Where is the Love? I ask this in all sincerity, where is the love?

As Jesus said before he died on the Cross: Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do. Amen

copied from my blog: http://thestoryofdarren.com/2013/04/06/what-is-hell/

[Lazarus Short]

That was excellent, Meketa!  :iagree: :gimmefive:

I know exactly what Hell is:  a 404 [not found].  It is a fictional place, bound up in legends, myths, and outright lies.

Hell is also a verb, meaning "to cover" - to cover, to bury, as in the grave.  Back in the days before refrigeration, if you didn't have a root cellar, you might store fruits and veggies this way:  First, dig a trench to below the local frost line.  Line the bottom with a layer of straw.  Place the fruits/veggies on the straw.  Cover them with more straw, and then with the previously dug-out dirt.  It was called "helling" the produce - my dad knew of the custom and actually helled produce in his younger days.  Later, you could dig down a bit, feel around in the straw, and resurrect/pull out some of the produce to eat.

[marie glen]

Absolutely! entirely fictional! part of older non Judeo/Christian (i.e. pagan) religious belief.. "the grave" whereas "hades" the available greek word for it as "the place of the dead" which to tthe Greeks was a place, but sheol according to the Bible.. as the place of the dead is still the grave, and is also the lower part of the earth Jesus went to.. where "all meet in sheol" and, was it Jacob? Joseph or Jpob? who prayed "please hide me in sheol" - my memory's a little fuzzy.. also the spirits in chains (tartarus) was just that in bonds, now imperfect unable to change their course and make their selves perfect.. [imo, God is life, the life force (of course) and also perfection, so to be imperfect is the opposite of Life, hence rescue and deliverance is needed]

Another verse unlearned wrestle is how it's believed Jesus went and preached to those in 'hell' from during the flood.. but what it likely says is He went via the Spirit to preach to those awaiting judgment/flood, preached via the Spirit while the ark was being built..

All very excellent points and summary in the above post(s)!!! :iagree: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[jbertonbounds]

That was excellent, Meketa!  :iagree: :gimmefive:

I know exactly what Hell is:  a 404 [not found].  It is a fictional place, bound up in legends, myths, and outright lies.

Hell is also a verb, meaning "to cover" - to cover, to bury, as in the grave.  Back in the days before refrigeration, if you didn't have a root cellar, you might store fruits and veggies this way:  First, dig a trench to below the local frost line.  Line the bottom with a layer of straw.  Place the fruits/veggies on the straw.  Cover them with more straw, and then with the previously dug-out dirt.  It was called "helling" the produce - my dad knew of the custom and actually helled produce in his younger days.  Later, you could dig down a bit, feel around in the straw, and resurrect/pull out some of the produce to eat.

The old folks used to store potatoes this way, but they didn't call it that.  :laughing7:

[jbertonbounds]

That was really good Meketa. Thanks for sharing it. :thumbsup:

[jbertonbounds]

HELL IS A PAGAN MYTH!

(I just like saying that :laughing7:)

[jbertonbounds]

I will say this, people have a very hard time letting go of the hell doctrine because it's in their bibles.  I tell them, "Hell does not belong in your bible; it was never supposed to be their in the first place..."  They DO NOT believe me.  Their bibles are idols to them, and they will not accept the fact that they contain some translations errors.  As idols, the particular bible translation they choose is sacred to them.  I know - I used to be one of them.  If you want to find out just how sacred an idol is to the idolator, just go over to Thailand and go into a temple and start moving Buddha around - you'll find out real quick! :laughing7:  More realistically, go into any local church and move their alter table.  We tried that in my former Baptist church, and whoa!  :eek:  (And we were moving it to make room for people to come forward and pray!)  :pitiful:

[Lazarus Short]

dirt.  It

The old folks used to store potatoes this way, but they didn't call it that.  :laughing7:

OK, I'll bite - what did they call it?  :dontknow:

[micah7:9]

I still hell my taters only now in my fridge drawer, not box buried under the dirt. :dsunny:

[jbertonbounds]

dirt.  It

The old folks used to store potatoes this way, but they didn't call it that.  :laughing7:

OK, I'll bite - what did they call it?  :dontknow:

They didn't really call it anything.  I just remember them explaining to me how to do it.  But they definitely didn't call it helling, because hell was a cuss word. :laughing7:

[JulieTang84]

 :HeartThrob:  I read years ago the same thing about "hell" being a place underground where potatoes were stored for keeping.


Try finding that meaning in a dictionary. Hope you do better than me.


Love Julie

[micah7:9]

I believe it's Irish and there ain't no way hell is cussing :sigh:

[jbertonbounds]

I believe it's Irish and there ain't no way hell is cussing :sigh:

:laugh: :laughing7: :laugh:

[Lazarus Short]

:HeartThrob:  I read years ago the same thing about "hell" being a place underground where potatoes were stored for keeping.


Try finding that meaning in a dictionary. Hope you do better than me.


Love Julie

The Oxford English Dictionary to the rescue!

I won't even try to quote the whole entry, and really can't because I lack easy access to all those specialized symbols used in dictionaries.  Here's the gist of it:

Hell
Held - middle English, and note that carefully!
Heel, from Hield
Hella - Old Norse
Haelde - Danish
meaning:  to pour (as, say, blood) this is an obsolete, regional use of the word

As to the "Held," compare this from later in the entry, from 1861:  "The dead in sin are hell'd here by the tormenting anguish of an unappeasable conscience."

So is it really a misunderstanding:  "Hell'd" = "Held"?

More meanings of "Hell":

To place in or as in hell, to cause to have their hell.
To add lustre to, to burnish (gold or silver).
To conceal, cover.
...and let's not forget "He'll" = "He Will".
All these definitions are verb usages.

[Jock]

I do believe that people confuse the Lake of Fire, with hell and build a doctrine. But it's a house of sand.

:2c: :2c:

Jock

[WhiteWings]

:HeartThrob:  I read years ago the same thing about "hell" being a place underground where potatoes were stored for keeping.

I can state as a fact. Where I live old, as in ancient, farmers still use the term.

Why was Hell spelled Hel in parts of the KJV-1611 Bible?

Did you know that the secular meaning behind the word 'hell,' just as the original meaning of 'hades' simply meant hidden, out of sight? Yep, in the ancient German, when two young folks went to a dark place to hide for some necking, they went to hel, they hid somewhere. Our English words helmut, hall, hole, and heel, all stem from the German word hele. The religious meaning of the word Hell came from Germany too -- actually it came from Teutonic mythology.

Hele was a goddess of the underworld in ancient folklore.

Hel is the name of the Norse underworld, and its ruler. Hel/Hela, in Norse mythology, was the hideous daughter of the Giant Loki, banished to the netherworld, Helheim (literally, 'house of Hel'), world of the dead, by the Chief God, Odin. The distinctive looking Goddess, whose skin is black on one side, rules over the dead until Ragnarok and the coming birth of the new world.

Hel is sister of Fenris, the wolf, and Jormungand, the world-serpent.

The name for the Christian world of torment "Hell" is derived from Hela's abode. Unlike the Christian version, however, Hel's realm was home to all who did not die in battle - miserable as it was, good behavior wasn't any more likely to get one a reprieve. Helheim's entrance works only in one direction- once one has entered, even a God, one cannot leave - like the Greek Hades, Helheim is guarded by a monstrous hound, and encircled by an impassable river. According to legend, the dead will remain in Hel's kingdom until the last days of Ragnarok.

[WhiteWings]

Oxford English Dictionary
hel

obs. form of heal, hele, hell.

hell

obs. form of hele v.2, to conceal, cover.

hele, heal, v.2 Obs. exc. dial.

Forms: 1 helian, 2–4 helie(n, 2–5 hele, 4–5 heyle, Sc. heile, 4–7 hell(e, 5 heele, Sc. heill, 6–9 heal, 7 heale, 8– heel, 9 hele. pa. tense 1 -ode, 2–4 -ede, 3–5 -ed, 4 helled, heild, Sc. helit, heylyt, 4–5 helet(e, 6–9 healed. pa. pple. 3 ihæled, iheoled, 3–5 (i)heled, -id, -yd, yheled, 4 Sc. helit, 5 -ud, -ut, 6–9 healed.

[OE. hęlian, a later form of hęllan (Sievers, ed. 2. §400. 2) = OS. bi-helljan, OHG. bi-hellen:—*haljan, f. ablaut stem hal- of helan: see prec. etym. and note.]

†1.1 trans. To hide, conceal; to keep secret. Obs.

   c 975 Canons Edgar §47 in Thorpe Anc. Laws II. 254 Ðæt æniᴁ ᴁehadod man his sceare ne heliᴁe.    c 1000 Ælfric Gen. xxxviii. 15 Heo helode hire nebb.    c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 197 Þat heued þat he helede.    a 1225 Ancr. R. 410 Mei ich‥helien Abraham þing þet ich þenche uorto donne?    1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 373 Syne [thai] it helit weill eneuch.    c 1440 Gesta Rom. xxxiii. 129 (Harl. MS.) Hele the cors of this dede man in some prive place of thin house.    c 1440 Bone Flor. 989 They made them to swere they schulde be lele, And syr Emers counsell heyle.    1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 189 b/2 But the preest alwey heled his synne.    1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xviii. 35 Heill nor conceill, reset nane of thay lownis.    ? 16‥ Bold Burnet's Dau. ix. in Child Ballads ii. lii. (1884) 453/2 Although I would heal it neer sae well, Our God above does see.

†b.1.b absol. or intr. To practise concealment, keep a secret, keep silence. Obs.

   13‥ Guy Warw. (A.) 351 No longer hele y nille, Al that soþe tellen y wille.    c 1400 Rom. Rose 2522 To hele wel is no folye.    c 1450 Erle Tolous 1034 The abbot seyde‥that he wolde hele, And ellys he were wode.

2.2 To cover, cover in. Still in local use, esp. in senses (a) to cover (roots, seeds, etc.) with earth; (b) to cover with slates or tiles, to roof.

a.    c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 195 Anes kinnes neddres is þe mid hire lichame heleð hire heued þane he beð of harme offered.    Ibid. 197 Þat heued þat he helede wið þe deules eginge.    c 1205 Lay. 18405 Heo leggeð i þissen felden Ihæled [c 1275 iheled] in heore telden.    1375 Barbour Bruce ix. 128 Snaw had helit all the land.    c 1400 Three Kings Cologne 52 Derkenes schulle heele þe erþe.    1497 Will of Dynham (Somerset Ho.), A Matynsbooke helid with purpill veluet.    1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 42 When his [the lion's] necke and shoulders be healed with heare and mayne.    1625 Ussher Answ. Jesuit 287 In this Countrie, with them that retaine the ancient language‥to hell the dead, is as much as to cover the dead.    1674 Ray S. & E.C. Words, Heal, to cover; Suss. As, 'to heal the fire'; 'to heal a house'; 'to heal a person in bed'.    1773 W. Tadman in R. Dossie Mem. Agric. (1782) III. 102 [It] destroys the small weeds, lets in the earth, and heels the seeds.    1861 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XXII. ii. 275 At the time of earthing the potatoes by the double mould-plough, turnip seed is sown, and thus 'heled'.

b.    1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 17 Brent tyle to hele wiþ hous and cherches.    1393 Lang. P. Pl. C. viii. 237 Alle þe houses beþ heled‥With no lede, bote with loue.    1458 Yatton Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 100 It. for a Plomer to hely the batylmente for the styple.    1674 [see prec.].    1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 275 They Rip, and Heal, and Counter-lath, for 3s. per Square.    1894 [see next].

Hence heled ppl. a., covered, roofed.

   c 1400 Three Kings Cologne 23 A strete þat þan was clepede þe couerid or þe helid strete.    1578 Lyte Dodoens i. xxxii. 46 Olde tyled, or stone healed houses.    1894 W. Sussex County Times 5 May 4/2 For Sale, a Block of Four Freehold Brick-built Slate-healed Modern Cottages.

In case you wonder what the numbers are. It's the year of the quotation was written.

[Jock]

Hel is a covering as in "Hel"met. A man who thatches roofs is a "Hellier" Hele is the name of a Teutoninc Goddess.

:2c: :2c:

Jock

[Tom]

The church has a history of torturing and killing people just for reading scripture, and the church still considers it heresy to believe scripture correctly translated rather than the doctrine of church tradition.

There is a common misconception about "hell," an Old English word translated from the Greek "hades" literally meaning "un-perceived," or "unseen," referring to the "unseen" state of a dead soul, but the meaning of "hell" has been distorted by intentional mistranslation of "Gehenna" as "hell" twelve times in the King James Version and the Douay-Rheims Catholic Version in the following verses: Matthew 5:22,29,30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6. "Gehenna" actually refers to the ravine of Hinnom, southwest of Jerusalem, used by the ancient apostate Jews to sacrifice their children in fire to Moloch, an Ammonite god, and later used to burn the corpses of criminals condemned to death as it will be in the coming eon.

"And it will come to be, as often as the new moon comes in its monthly time, And as often as the sabbath comes in its sabbath cycle, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says Yahweh. And they will go forth and see the corpses of the mortals who transgressed against Me, For their worm shall not die, And their fire shall not be quenched, And they will become a repulsion to all flesh." (Isaiah 66:23,24)

The intentional mistranslation of "Gehenna" as "hell" is used to support the myth of "hell fire." The church failed to suppress scripture by killing people with fire, but the church changed scripture to terrorize people with torture in fire forever after they die.

"Hell" is obviously not "the lake of fire" because the King James Version says "hell" will be cast into "the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14).

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[Jock]

Sometimes my mind wants to see things as present events, sometimes past events and sometimes, future. There is no time with God. It seems to me that He will be dealing with things throughout the ages and all who have ever lived will be present. I, my wildest imagination, I can't picture such a scenario but although I am in awe of it, I am no longer afraid.

Because of Christ Jesus

:Peace2:

Best regards to you all

Jock

[jbertonbounds]

I do believe that people confuse the Lake of Fire, with hell and build a doctrine. But it's a house of sand.

:2c: :2c:

Jock

Absolutely!  MOST christians don't know there is a difference.  They have been taught that bad people go to hell forever at the moment of death. 

First of all, if hell existed, most bible translations say hell will be cast into the lake of fire (destroyed).  So their own bible translations prove this to be a false teaching.  Revelation 20:14 [ESV] - "Then death and Hades ["hell" in most translations] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

Second, the lake of fire will not last forever because this is the second death, and death is the last enemy to be destroyed.  1 Corinthians 15:26 [ESV] - "The last enemy that will be abolished is death."

:2c: :2c: :2c: