The word Tartarus is found only once in the entire bible. It is found in second Peter chapter two and verse four. It has been translated by the word hell in the King James Version of the bible. It should not be translated by the word hell although some versions render it that way. It has nothing to do with hell, just as the Greek words Hades and, Gehenna have nothing to do with the orthodox Christian teaching about hell.
2 Pet 2:4 KJV For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell (Tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
2 Pet 2:4 CLV For if God spares not sinning messengers, but thrusting them into the gloomy caverns of Tartarus, gives them up to be kept for chastening judging;"
It is unfortunate that this word, Tartarus, is translated "hell" in many versions.
The gloomy caverns of Tartarus (AV- chains of darkness) are not the same as Hades (the unseen), as Gehenna, or the Lake of Fire. Tartarus refers to the temporary dungeons of sinning spirits. Jude says:
Jud 1:6 (KJV) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting (perpetual) chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.,
Jud 1:6 (CLV) Besides, messengers who keep not their own sovereignty, but leave their own habitation, He has kept in imperceptible bonds under gloom for the judging of the great day."
Jud 1:6 (Diaglott) messengers and those not having kept the of themselves principality, but having left the own habitation, for a judgment of a great day, with chains perpetual under thick darkness have been kept;
Notice that these passages speak of messengers, or angels, and not men; and that they do not refer to a final state, but to a place where they are kept in imperceptible (invisible) bonds under gloom for the judgment of the great day. There is not the faintest indication of any torment in Tartarus, but simply a temporary dungeon where sinning messengers are kept for chastening judgment at the Great White Throne.
In Matthew 8 there is the account of the evil spirits (devils) who posessed two men from the country of the Gergesenes which Jesus exorcized.
Mat 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
These sinning spirits know there is coming a time when they will be judged at the White Throne and their judgement will be a time of torment. Not torture but torment. This was discussed under the topic of "Fire".
There is not the faintest suggestion in text or context of the Scriptures that Tartarus carries the horrible conception which hell brings to the minds of people in general, and there is, not the slightest justification for so translating it as "hell". It is simply forcing ideas into God's word which He never intended to be there.
:dsunny: An excellent work. :iagree:
Amein Joe :)
Another thing to add to the mix is that, the noun form of the word is found in the LXX of Job 40:20:
'...he causes joy to the quadrapeds in the deep [ταρταρω].'
Here, four footed creatures dwell, and there is joy there.
It is simply speaking of somewhere low, without regard to the state of being there.
Another point from my Eastern tradition is that we have no concept of Tartarus as a place of torment, such as the Greeks had, but rather, simply the lowest place [תחתיתא] of confinement, referred to in the Aramaic Straight of 2Pe 2:4:
בשׁשׁלתא דעמטנא עגן אנון בתחתיתא ואשׁלם אנון דנתנטרון
He cast them down in chains of darkness in the lowest places and handed them over to be kept...
As you pointed out Joe, no mention of torment takes place where they are being kept, but, as I understand it, it is the lowly state where they are kept in darkness (pictured as chains) until they, at a later time, receive a judgment of שנק, perhaps the one referred to in Revelation 20:10.
Ronen
In regards to Hell, the KJV translators were second only to the "translators" of the New World Version, in terms of shoehorning the text to fit doctrine.
Definitely significant about the angel system. Many references to them being involved in our past, present and future.
Christ was/and is, to be first in everything. Then went into the temple in heaven [Hebrews 9] so that He was doing this for ALL creation.
He was made lower than the angels, just like our current position, then raised to be above them. We will be like Him, and raised to be above angels.
The use of Tartarus as a place to hold beings till their correction makes logical sense. We seem to have a demonstration of that principle with our jail system. Some held till their time of hearing.
As was pointed out, Jude gives a deep insight into the levels of authority as well as retention till the appointed time.
Wonderful stuff y'all! :thumbsup: