Anonymous

The New World Translation is a Jehovah Witness Bible which has been translated by the Watch Tower.  This Bible has important words and phrases omitted or changed including the Lordship and Deity of Jesus as equal to God the Father, to coincide with the J.W.'s beliefs. This bible is not a trusted or accurate interpretation of scripture.  There is much more information that can be found regarding this information at sites such as this...http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/jw-sites.html.  

Hell in the Bible is a place of future punishment and the final destination for unbelievers. It is described in Scripture using various terms such as eternal fire, outer darkness, a place of weeping and torment, the lake of fire, the second death, unquenchable fire. The most terrifying reality of hell is that it will be a place of complete, unending separation from God.

The Hebrew word Sheol occurs 65 times in the Old Testament. It is translated "hell," "the grave," "death," "destruction," and "the pit." Sheol identifies the general abode of the dead, a place where life no longer exists.

Hades is the Greek term translated "hell" in the New Testament. Hades is similar to Sheol. It is described as a prison with gates, bars, and locks, and its location is downward.

There seems to be some confusion about the meaning of Hell and who goes there because of the way the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades have been translated in our English Bibles. Since this confusion has led some into an erroneous understanding of what the Bible actually teaches about the intermediate state and the final state of the dead, we think that it is important that we address this subject here.

Sheol is found in the Bible sixty-five times. It is translated “the pit” three times, “the grave” thirty-one times, and “hell” thirty-one times. Hades is used eleven times, being rendered “hell” ten times and “grave” once. Adding to the confusion is that two other words are also translated hell in the New Testament. These are Tartarus, which is found once and Gehenna, which is used twelve times.

"The term “Hell” is commonly understood to mean a place of torment where the souls of the wicked go after physical death. This is true. However, because Hades in the New Testament and Sheol in the Old are variously rendered hell or grave, there has been some misunderstanding about what hell and the grave are. Before looking at these words though, we should first give our attention to the Greek word Gehenna, which is always translated hell and used in reference to the Lake of Fire. It is found in Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; and James 3:6.

The Lake of Fire, or Hell, is a literal place of everlasting fire that was originally created by God as a place of punishment for Satan and the angels that followed him in his rebellion against God (Mat. 25:41). Because it is referred to as the place of “outer darkness” (Mat. 8:12; 25:30), we believe that it is most probably located at the farthest reaches of the creation. Gehenna is described in Scripture as a “furnace of fire” (Mat. 13:42); “everlasting punishment” (Mat. 25:46); “the mist [gloom] of darkness” (II Pet. 2:17); the “hurt of the second death” (Rev. 2:11 cf. 20:6,14; 21:8); “a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10; 21:8).

While Hell was created for Satan and the other fallen angels, the unsaved of humanity from all ages will be with them in this place of torment where “there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Mat. 13:42). This is the “everlasting reward” of all that die in their sins.

While there is no one in the Lake of Fire at this time, it will one day hold a vast multitude. The first residents of this place of righteous retribution will be the Beast (Antichrist) and the False Prophet who, at the end of the Tribulation, will be “cast alive into a lake burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:19-20). Joining them will be the unsaved of the nations who survive the Tribulation (Mat. 25:31-32,41-46). Also, at Jesus Christ’s return to earth, the rebel Israelites, i.e. unbelieving Jews, who survive the Tribulation, will be denied entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, no doubt to join their Gentile counterparts in the “place of everlasting fire” (Eze. 20:33-38; Mat. 7:21-23; cf. Mat. 24:29-31,45-51). Then, at the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Satan will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). And finally, the unsaved dead of all ages will be raised and judged at the Great White Throne by Jesus Christ and then cast into the Lake of Fire (see Rev. 20:11-15).

The name Gehenna comes from a deep narrow ravine south of Jerusalem where some Hebrew parents actually sacrificed their children to the Ammonite god, Molech, during the time of the kings (II Kin. 16;3; II Chron. 28:1-3; cf. Lev. 18:21; I Kin. 11:5,7,33). This pagan deity is also referred to as Malcham, Milcom, and Moloch in the Bible. This valley later served as the city dump and, because there was continual burning of refuse there, it became a graphic symbol of the place of punishment for the wicked. It was named the “Valley of Hinnom,” which translated into Greek becomes Gehenna. The passages where the word is found in the New Testament plainly show that it was a commonly used expression for Hell by that time. The word is found twelve times in the Scriptures, being used eleven times by the Lord Jesus and once by James. When we consider the context, it is clear the Lord used this word in reference to the place of everlasting punishment for the wicked dead and not to the city dump.

Gehenna, or the Lake of Fire, might be referred to as the future, or final, Hell because it is where all of the wicked from all ages will finally end up. Satan, the fallen angels, and all of the lost of mankind will reside in torment there forever and ever.

Scripture passages in which Gehenna is used should be distinguished from those using Hades, which refers to a place of temporary torment that we might refer to as the immediate, or present, Hell. What we mean by this is that, at the time of death, the souls of the lost go directly to Hades, where they suffer in torment until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment when they will be resurrected and cast into the Lake of Fire. The souls of all the lost who have already died are presently there and those who die in their sins immediately go there to join them.

Hades is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament word Sheol. The Greek and Hebrew words speak of the same place, the present Hell. However, this is problematic because Sheol has been translated “grave” as often as it has “hell” and some have mistakenly taught that Sheol and Hades are only references to the grave rather than Hell. This erroneous teaching leads to the denial of the existence of an immediate or present Hell. The false doctrine of soul-sleep, and other ideas that teach the unconscious state of the dead between death and resurrection, spring from this error.

The common word for “grave” in the Old Testament is queber. Of the sixty-four times it is used, it is translated “grave” thirty-four times, “sepulcher” twenty-six times, and “burying place” four times. Queber is used five additional times as part of a place name, Kibroth-hattaavah, which means “graves of lust.” As we said earlier, Sheol is found sixty-four times, being rendered “grave” thirty-one times, “hell” thirty-one times, and “pit” three times."

These paragraphs were quoted from the article, "Hell, Sheol, Hades, Paradise, and the Grave".

by W. Edward Bedore, Th.D.

June 22 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Chris Eleam Supporter Chris Eleam

In its original languages, the Bible uses the Hebrew word sheʼohl′ and its Greek equivalent hai′des more than 70 times. Both words are related to death. Some Bible translations render them as “grave,” “hell,” or “pit.” However, in most languages there are no words that convey the precise sense of these Hebrew and Greek words. The New World Translation therefore uses the words “Sheol” and “Hades.” What do these words really mean? Let us note how they are used in different Bible passages.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 states: “There is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place to which you are going.” Does this mean that Sheol refers to a specific, or individual, grave site where we may have buried a loved one? No. When the Bible refers to a specific burial place, or grave, it uses other Hebrew and Greek words, not sheʼohl′ and hai′des. (Genesis 23:7-9; Matthew 28:1) Also, the Bible does not use the word “Sheol” for a grave where several individuals are buried together, such as a family grave or a mass grave.—Genesis 49:30, 31.

To what kind of place, then, does “Sheol” refer? God’s Word indicates that “Sheol,” or “Hades,” refers to something much more than even a large mass grave. For instance, Isaiah 5:14 notes that Sheol is “spacious and has opened its mouth wide beyond bounds.” Although Sheol has already swallowed, so to speak, countless dead people, it always seems to hunger for more. (Proverbs 30:15, 16) Unlike any literal burial site, which can hold only a limited number of the dead, ‘Sheol does not get satisfied.’ (Proverbs 27:20) That is, Sheol never becomes full. It has no limits. Sheol, or Hades, is thus not a literal place in a specific location. Rather, it is the common grave of dead mankind, the figurative location where most of mankind sleep in death.

June 21 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Lisa Alexander Supporter

Sheol, the pit, hell, Hades, all mean death. The bible clearly states this. Read the following verses and you shall read death is eternal and there is no such place as a hell that our loving, kind God would send us to forever. The wicked will be ashes at the coming of our Lord. They will not stand the Glory of such purity, glory, and Holiness. And their rejection of the Holy Spirit will flash before them. All will bow before Him and say Holy and Just are thy ways! God gave us His word but we go to others for the truth and all truth is in the word of God. We must ask the Spirit for guidence and " If you seek, you will find"

Mal. 4:1-3

Pslm 37:10

Pslm37:20

Matt:25:46
Jude 7 / Sodam and Gomarrah are perfect examples of everlasting punishment and eternal fire. These cities lie in ruins today underneath a portion of the dead sea. 

2Pet. 2:6 Turned into ashes

Matt. 3:11,12/The fire can not be quenched or put out until it completes its work of eradicating sin from the universe

Jer 17:19-27 Jerusaem was detroyed with unquenchable fire which no human hands could put out. It completed it's work of totally detroying Jerusalem, yet Jerusalem is not still burning today. 
Pet.3:12,13

Isa: 47:14

Rev 20:9

Rev 20:10

I have many more verses then these if you would like them. 

I also can show you that we all sleep until the Lord's Great Day.

I know these things because I stopped listening to the pastors and opened my bible and asked God through the Holy Spirit to show me the truth. My life hasn't been the same since I stopped walking in the lie and deceptions of Satan and started walking in the great truth of our Lord Jesus Christ
The truth shall set you free. After reading the word I found that Our Lord Jesus meant this literally, God will purify this erarth and shall be like it was in the beginning before satan stole the keys from Adam through trickery. No evil will exist.

May God lead you into truth! Ask.

July 05 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Anonymous

I think Sheol is Satan...

June 21 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mike Gantt Supporter https://jesuschristandthebible.info/

Sheol is the Hebrew word for the place of dead, the underworld.  The Greek word for the same place is Hades.  According to the worldview of the Old Testament, God and angels lived above in heaven, humanity lived on earth, and all the human dead were below in Sheol (Hades).

According to the New Testament (corroborated by the prophecies of the Old Testament), Jesus came to change this arrangement.  Specifically, the dead would be raised to live in heaven with God and angels.  Jesus was the firstborn from the dead.

July 05 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Beeker Supporter

Sheol is simply the state of being, as the living see those who have passed from this realm. It is nothing more than what the living perceive. It can be nothing more.

"Satan" is not a name. It is simply a title. Anything or anyone who adversarially opposes the things of The Creator aligns themselves with the adversary, hence, becoming hasatan.

July 05 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report