Hell! What is it? What is it not?

Hell! What is it? What is it not?

Most people in Christianity, protestant or Roman Catholic Communities and in other religious societies when asked, “What happens after death”, would answer, “The good go straight to heaven and the bad go to a never-ending burning hell fire”. This is also advocated in certain secular communities and in the New Age movement worldwide.

This idea is based on the concept that humans have an immortal soul or spirit that leaves the body at the moment of death. It is disembodied, but still has personality, is conscious and able to watch and participate in what happens here on planet earth. It will be able to enjoy the pleasure of heaven or paradise and in hell will physically suffer the pain of a never-ending burning fire.

This belief causes suicide bombers to sacrifice their lives for their cause and in the Second World War gave Kawasaki pilots to sacrifice their lives as well. In Africa we have found tribal fighters to do the same because of the same belief system. It is all based on the belief that man (generic for male and female) has an immortal soul or spirit and possesses a personality.

We have to answer the question, is it true that man has an immortal soul that leaves the human body at the moment of death? If they are right then the Bible is not telling us the truth. If this is based on other religious literature then we have to investigate if the other literature is trust worthy and of a clearly proven divine origin.

As far as the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, is concerned we can state categorically that nowhere in the Bible came we find a text which indicates that man has an immortal soul leaving the body at time of death to enter heaven or a burning hell. The Bible is of divine origin and has self declared authority. We read about this in 2Tim.3:16 ”All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (All Bible quotations are from the KJV if otherwise it will be so indicated).

When Jesus was approached by the Devil, Jesus used for His defence the scriptures and answered the Devil with” It is written”. Such a statement made the Devil to back off from Jesus. Read Matthew 4:4, 7 and 10.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, who had drifted away from Paul’s teachings based on the scriptures, that even if an angel would come down and teach differently such a one would be accursed. Read Gal.1:8.

We will do the same in this study and use the scriptures to find the truth about life after death and what HELL is all about.

It would be wise to start at the beginning, Genesis, where we find the record about the creation of man, male and female. That will solve already much of the problem, misunderstandings and incorrect interpretations. We turn to Gen.2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.” Some other translations like the NASB read “…..became a living person”.

Man, male and female, made in the image of God, Gen.1:26, 27, not as an animal, and made from the dust of the ground and receiving from God the breath of life. The dust of the ground plus the breath of life from God put together results in a living soul or person. Notice very clearly that man did not receive a soul, but became a soul when dust of the ground and the breath from God were put into one. Man did not receive anything that is immortal. Man is not immortal and has nothing in his body or person that is immortal.

The apostle Paul writes in Romans 2:7 “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life”. If we do have immortality then we do not have to seek for it, but because we do not have it, now we have to seek for it. In 1Timothy 6:15, 16 Paul writes: “Which in his times shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who only has immortality”. If God only has immortality than humans and nobody else has it. Remember what Paul wrote to the Galatians, if even an angel would teach differently from what he has been teaching such one is accursed.

Man is still seeking immortality and will find it in the day of glory when the trumpet shall sound, then in Christ all will be raised, 1Cor.15:22, 23. Then mortal shall be changed for immortality, 1Cor.15:53. Jesus spoke about two resurrections, one for the saved in Christ and the other for the lost, which turned their back to Christ, read John 5:28, 29.

THE FIRST LIE.
How did this idea enter the mind of the human race? Again we must go to the beginning. God told Adam and Eve that if they would eat from the forbidden tree they would surely die. This would mean their bodies would turn back to dust; the ground, and their breath would turn to God from whom they had received it. This is later confirmed by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:7 “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit, (breath of life) shall return unto God who gave it”. Breath is often also called spirit. At point of death the reverse will take place what is described in Gen.2:7. However the Devil entered the Garden of Eden and by the medium of a serpent told Eve that surely she would not die when she would eat from the forbidden tree, Gen.3:4. Now a choice had to be made, believe God or the Devil. The Devil was believed and the result has been as we still see it all around us, death. But man has twisted Satan’s lie that it means an immortal soul will leave the body and either enters heaven or a burning hell. This is the man made extension of the first satanic lie, for which there is no ground at all in the scriptures anywhere between Genesis and Revelation. Satan is the liar and the father of lies, John 8:44.

What more does the Bible teach regarding what happens at the point of death? Before we answer that question we will add a few more scripture passages regarding death and eternal life or immortality. In Rom.6:23 we read “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” Eternal life is a gift, which we do not have as yet. It is the opposite of death. If death means a two way direction, life in glory or life in a burning hell,
then everybody has eternal life and cannot be called properly a unique gift of God. But it is not like that.
Death means to perish, destruction, not continually living in a state of misery or painful burning in fire. Read John 3:16 “Whosoever believes will not perish but have eternal life”. Perish means annihilation, to turn into a state of non-existent. Death, to perish, is the result of unbelief in Christ, of sin and Ezekiel 18:4 teaches that the soul that sinneth shall die, read also 18:20. If the soul is inherently immortal then it cannot die, but it reads, “it shall die”, conclusion: it is not immortal and man has not something like immortality. Soul(s) are people for we read in Gen.46:26 that the number of people leaving Canaan with Jacob to join Joseph in Egypt was three score and six souls. In Exodus 1:5 the figure is given as seventy souls. The point is Jacob’s family members were called “souls”. We read the same in Gen.12:5; Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 4:2; 7:27 and Revelation 20:4 souls which have been beheaded. In all these cases and more in the Bible soul stands for the person or a human, not something separate from the human. Joshua 10:28, 30 and 39 speaks about all the souls destroyed. In Revelation 16:3 every living soul died. If you take a concordance and look up all scripture references you will never find a soul that lived forever in glory or in a burning hell, or that the soul is immortal and cannot die

Now we will turn to our question, what happens when man dies? This is a crucial question. When man breathes his last breath does he or she go immediately, that very same moment, into glory or hell fire?
What really happens, what does take place at that moment? One answer is found by the pen of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:3-6. First he gives a description of what takes place during old age time and then he speaks about the golden bowl broken and in verse seven we read, “then shall the dust return to earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it”. Dust means of what man has been made according to Gen.2:7 and spirit, means breathe of life, because that is what God gave to man as recorded in Gen.2:7. Solomon describes the reverse situation of Genesis 2:7. From dust and return to dust, what received from God returns to God.

We read in Psalms 104:29 “Thou taketh away their breath they die and return to their dust”. And in Ps. 146:4 “His breath goes forth, he returns to this earth and in that very day his thoughts perish.” Read also Job 7:9, 10. At the moment of death man discontinues being a living soul and turns into complete unconsciousness, called sleep as we will learn later. All human functions have come to a full stop, read Eccl.9:5, 6.

In Job 3:11 we read about giving up the ghost at point of death, which means to perish (see NKJV). In Job 17:1 we read about breath being corrupt, which means spirit and In Ezekiel 37:5 spirit will be given to the bones and bring them to life which means breath given to the bones. The Hebrew “Ruach” is alternatively translated as “spirit” or “breath”. The context must decide the meaning.

We read in Genesis 7:22 that at the time of the flood all died in whose nostrils was the breath of life. In the Dutch Bible translation it reads “In whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life”. The same is in the French Bible. Breath and spirit are used in one expression. The breath we breathe and which we received from God is God’s life giving spirit, but not to be confused with the Holy Spirit.

What is death called in Biblical terms?
Jesus has the answer to this question in John 11:11. Jesus is informed about the sickness and death of His friend Lazarus and says “Lazarus sleepeth”. In Matthew 9:24 Jesus states the same about the daughter of Jairus and the people laughed in His face. Read also Mark 5:38-40. In Lazarus case Jesus adds later that Lazarus is dead, John 11:14. This is a clear categorical statement by Jesus that death equals “sleep”. The reason for this is that after death follows resurrection, as we have quoted here above, also from the word of Jesus in John 5:28, 29 and the well known scripture passage by the apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 15. In the resurrection day the dead are not called from heaven but to come forth, from where they have been laid to rest Notice what happens to Lazarus when Jesus was standing at his tomb where he was laid four days before. With a loud voice Jesus cried, come forth, John 11:43, 44. And Lazarus came forth. Lazarus as a friend of Jesus would have been a good candidate to go to heaven after he died, but apparently he was not in heaven, he was called from the tomb where he was laid after he died. For Jesus, and all over the Bible, the dead sleep in their graves.

David with all his sins, but forgiven (Psalms 132: and 51) also would have been a good candidate to go to heaven at the time of his death. However we read in 2Samual 7:12 that he is told he would sleep with his fathers. David went to dust, Acts 13:36, and there he sleeps and waits the resurrection day. Peter declares the same in Acts2:29-31 that David is both dead and buried. Not one word, as people would say today, that he is in heaven and praising God. That is false a assumption based on the first lie spoken in the Garden of Eden to Eve by the Devil through the serpent.

Regarding Jesus and what happened to Him after he died we read in Acts 2:31 that the soul of Christ was not left in hell and His flesh did not see corruption. So Jesus did not go to heaven on Friday afternoon when he died. Jesus was laid in the tomb, His grave for that weekend. There He was till resurrection morning after the Sabbath. Peter equals “hell” with “grave” the resting or sleeping place for the dead. Jesus was not in heaven but in the tomb or grave of Joseph of Arimathaea, read Matthew 27:57-60. Peter also equals the person of Christ or His body with soul. In Luke 23:46 we read that Jesus commended His spirit to His father and that He gave up the ghost. This relates clearly to His breath of life, but not going into heaven at that time. Even on the resurrection morning Jesus had not yet gone to heaven as we will notice later in this study.

What about Abraham, he is another very good candidate to go to heaven immediately after his death. But it did not happen. We read in Genesis 25:8-10 that Abraham gave up the ghost, as Jesus did, gave up his breath of life, Abraham died and was gathered to his people and buried in the same place where his wife Sarah was laid to rest. No mentioning of going straight to heaven. We read in Hebrews 11:8-13 that Abraham looked for a future city. Then we read in Hebr.11:39 that all those mentioned in this chapter and who died received not the promise. The promise is still a future event, we still pray in the Lord’s Prayer ”Thy Kingdom come”. All are still sleeping and waiting for that Kingdom and to hear the call to come forth.

It should be clear to the reader of this study at this point that all that died, and will die, do not go directly to heaven or to a burning hell. There is a future resurrection day when all in the graves will hear his voice, John 5:28, 29. Which voice will they hear? The heavenly voice to wake up, Isaiah 26:19. Read also Paul’s word in 1Thess.4:16, 17. The dead in Christ will rise first. According to Jesus’ word in John 5:28, 29 there will be two types of resurrection one for the good and the other for the wicked. The wicked will rise later, read Revelation 20:5. We have the certain assurance that all will be raised, 1Cor.15:22, the good and the bad.

In the mean time while sleeping and waiting for the resurrection day they know nothing, have no knowledge of what happens on planet earth and do not see what happens on planet earth. It is total and complete unconsciousness. Read Job 14:11, 12; Psalms 146:4 and Eccl.9:5.

What about eternal life? John 3:16 holds the assurance; all who believe in Christ will not perish, not be destroyed in the last day, but have eternal life. John 17:3 teaches us that to know the true God and Jesus Christ who was sent, is eternal life. We find the same 1John 5:11, 12. To believe in Jesus Christ means to accept all of His teachings and doctrines. We do not loose eternal while we sleep in the grave it is only an interruption. While we sleep our name remains in heaven in the book of life. Read Luke 10:20 and Phil.4:3. Our born again experience takes us into the Kingdom of God, John 3:3, 4. Read also Hebr.12:22, 23 it is here on earth that we have come to the church of the first born with names written in heaven. Those who have their name not in the book of life will perish in the lake of fire, Rev.20:15. In that same lake will perish death and hell (Hades=grave) Rev.20:14; 19:20 Read also Ezekiel 28:18. This burning to ashes will take place on the earth. Read again Mal.4:3. Eternal life is God’s gift, Rom.6:23 and we will not loose that gift when we die in Christ. But we will rest of our labours Rev.14:13. Job writes his grave will be his house and rest in the dust, Job 17:13, 16. As long as we remain faithful to Christ our names will remain in the book of life. Those who turn away from Christ into sin again they will loose their name from the book of life, read Exodus 32:32, 33.

What will happen ultimately to the wicked?
We have already answered that question here above, but will add a few more scripture passages. 2Thess.2:8 the wicked shall be destroyed. 2Thess 2:12 the wicked shall be damned. They will be like Sodom and Gomorrah suffering the vengeance of the eternal fire, Jude 7. Not eternally burning fire, but as these two cities being burned up and then the fire stops. They shall be destroyed and consumed, Isa.1:28.Also in Psalms 37:38 and 92:7. Nowhere in the Bible do we read that the wicked, the unsaved will be burning throughout eternity. If that were the case the wicked also would have eternal life but in misery. This is not true. There is only one kind of eternal life and that is life in glory on a restored new earth, Revelation 21:1. Sin, sinners and all that results from sin will be done away with for ever and ever. Rev.21:3-5

Some problem scripture passages.
There are some passages in the Bible that cause trouble in the mind of some people. One is in Revelation 20:10. The wicked will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. We must not use this passage and create contradiction in the Bible. We must understand this in the context of what we have read in Jude 7 that it will be like Sodom and Gomorrah. We do not know how long these cities have been burning and we also do not know how long the last fire will be burning. But while it is burning it could be several days and that is called, for ever and ever, till all is burned up and turned into ashes as we have learned from other passages in the Bible.

Another passage is in Isaiah 66:21 and Mark 9:44, 45. It will be a place where the worm does not die and the fire will not be quenched. But when the worm has nothing more to eat from dead carcases and when the fire has nothing more to burn, the worm will die and the fire will be quenched by itself. Again it will be like Sodom and Gomorrah, which does not burn anymore. We read in Jeremiah 17:27 that if Israel/Judah would not listen to the Lord Jerusalem would be devoured by fire and it (that fire) shall not be quenched. In 2Chron.36:18-19 we read that it happened that way. When all was devoured by fire stopped and quenched by itself. When Ezra and Nehemiah later visited the city they found ruins but not a still burning city.
The wicked will be destroyed and their name done away with, Psalms 9:5; 73:27.

Often Matthew 25:46 is quoted where it reads that the unsaved, the unrighteous shall go into everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal. It is the punishment that is everlasting, not the punishing. Sodom and Gomorrah suffered ever lasting punishment, but the burning has stopped. There is no everlasting life in being punished in a burning hell. The burning will stop when everything is burned, destroyed by fire and totally consumed. But the righteous, as the text says, will go into life eternal, and that is for ever and ever and ever.

Then there is the case of the thief at the cross. He repented and asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus would come in His kingdom, Luke 23:42. Jesus answered “verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise”. 23:43. Jesus died that day and was buried, but did He go into paradise? On resurrection morning Jesus told Mary:”Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father”. John 20:17. Also Jesus died that Friday afternoon, but the two thieves did not die. Their bodies were taken off the cross and their bones or legs where broken so they could not escape. John 19:32.
The problem in Luke 23:43 is the punctuation. Punctuations have been added later to the scriptures and this comma is in the wrong place. The comma should be placed after today and then it would read “verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise”. We are still praying in the Lord’s prayer Thy Kingdom come”. It is still future, but in the resurrection morning this thief will be among the ones who will inherit eternal life in paradise.

We also have a parable that causes people a problem. It is the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. First of all a parable can never be used for constructing a Biblical doctrine, they always illustrate certain things. The parable states that when Lazarus dies he finds himself in the bosom of Abraham and when the rich man dies he finds himself in hell fire. The distance between the two is not so big that they cannot talk to each other, but too big to grant the rich man a bit of water he is asking for. Will that be reality in eternity? Any reasonable thinking person must admit this is not illustrating reality. It illustrates that rich people have no first right to the Kingdom; poor people may go ahead of them. The rich man asks for someone to be sent to his relatives to warn them. But the answer is they should listen to Moses and the prophets. That is another lesson from this parable, we must not ask or wait for some miraculous event to learn about God’s salvation but take the scriptures and accept its message for our salvation. For the wicked there is no place from where they will be able to communicate with those who are saved. The wicked will be destroyed, Psalms 37:34-38. The destruction of the wicked will be seen, Palms 91:8; 58:10 and Isa.66:24. This will cause crying. Relatives saved may see relatives unsaved and that’s why we read that God will wipe away all tears, Rev.21:4.

Finally we have Revelation 6:9 souls under the altar of the martyrs killed for their faith in the Word of God. This is not an altar in heaven. In heaven there is no altar of sacrifice. If that were so, how big an altar it must be, because through the centuries millions of martyrs have lost their lives. They were killed for their faith in God and Christ on earth. It is here on earth where their blood is shed for their faith. Blood represents life, Lev.17:11. Soul stands for a living person, Genesis 2:7. Revelation 6:9 speaks about the martyrs who have given their lives for their faith, their blood poured out on earth the altar of sacrifice and that blood speaks. In Hebr.12:24 we read that blood speaks. The blood of Jesus shed for our salvation at Calvary speaks, but it speaks better than the blood of Abel which cried to God after Abel was slain by Cain, Gen.4:10. The blood of Abel cried for justice and so do the souls of the martyrs, their blood also cries for justice, Rev.6:10.

CONCLUSION
From this study it must be clear to the reader that hell is not a place where fire is burning for ever and ever non stop throughout eternity, and souls are tormented in that fire throughout eternity. Hell is the place where the dead will sleep in their graves till the day of resurrection and then death and hell (grave) will be done away with at the same time when the unsaved will be consumed or destroyed by fire until they become ashes. In the kingdom of glory, there is no death, no grave. It is also not a place from where throughout eternity the wicked or unsaved will be seen suffering. We have read that the unsaved will be punished here on earth and when that process is finished then the Lord will recreate this planet into a new earth with new surrounding heavens.

The challenging message is for each one of us to accept God’s plan of salvation as stated in John 3:16 and Titus 2:11-15. Choose ye today to listen to the inviting voice, come unto Me and find rest, Matthew 11:28 and come today to have eternal life, Revelation 22:17.