Hellfire? Is "hellfire" the greatest blasphemy ever spoken against divine mercy? Where did it originate? From misinterpreting three scriptures? Let's review them.
1. Jesus said to the pharisees,
"Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ..... YOU are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Serpents, offspring of vipers, how are YOU to flee from the judgment of Gehenna? For this reason, here I am sending forth to YOU prophets and wise men and public instructors. Some of them YOU will kill ..." Mt23:26
Gehenna was the city dump, outside Jerusalem, which burned day and night by adding sulfur. Refuse, including the dead bodies of criminals were completely destroyed, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Nothing in Gehenna was alive.
2. Likewise, God gives advance warning about judgment day at Armageddon.
"If anyone worships the wild beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."Rv14:9
Why is putting "faith" in the world's military commanders, instead of our creator, so condemned? Pledging God's due allegiance to them, gave them authority to build our nuclear guillotine, which is on a countdown to inevitably backfire, leading to an extinction level event for mankind. " "....... for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world?fs beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." Mt24:21
The "smoke of their torment ascending forever and ever" does not mean those executed have been given everlasting life, in pain, it symbolizes eternal death, they will not be given a second chance in the resurrection.
3. Is there fire in hell (English), Hades in Greek)?
"And I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire." Rv20:11
Notice there is no fire in hell, no punishment, rather it is a place of safe keeping until the dead are resurrected (Jo5:28) and given a second chance during the 1,000 year reign of Christ. This is when Jehovah's kingdom comes and his will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. Mt6:9
Death is not a doorway to punishment for sin, it IS the punishment.
"That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned... " Ro5:9
" For he who has died has been acquitted from sin." Ro6:7
" I, even I, have said in my heart with regard to the sons of mankind that the [true] God is going to select them, that they may see that they themselves are beasts. For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust. Who is there knowing the spirit of the sons of mankind, whether it is ascending upward; and the spirit of the beast, whether it is descending downward to the earth? And I have seen that there is nothing better than that the man should rejoice in his works..." Ecs3:18
What will life be like under Jehovah's benevolent kingdom to come?
"And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more;
And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.
But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." Ps37:9
Everyone is invited!
1. Jesus said to the pharisees,
"Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ..... YOU are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Serpents, offspring of vipers, how are YOU to flee from the judgment of Gehenna? For this reason, here I am sending forth to YOU prophets and wise men and public instructors. Some of them YOU will kill ..." Mt23:26
Gehenna was the city dump, outside Jerusalem, which burned day and night by adding sulfur. Refuse, including the dead bodies of criminals were completely destroyed, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Nothing in Gehenna was alive.
2. Likewise, God gives advance warning about judgment day at Armageddon.
"If anyone worships the wild beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."Rv14:9
Why is putting "faith" in the world's military commanders, instead of our creator, so condemned? Pledging God's due allegiance to them, gave them authority to build our nuclear guillotine, which is on a countdown to inevitably backfire, leading to an extinction level event for mankind. " "....... for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world?fs beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." Mt24:21
The "smoke of their torment ascending forever and ever" does not mean those executed have been given everlasting life, in pain, it symbolizes eternal death, they will not be given a second chance in the resurrection.
3. Is there fire in hell (English), Hades in Greek)?
"And I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire." Rv20:11
Notice there is no fire in hell, no punishment, rather it is a place of safe keeping until the dead are resurrected (Jo5:28) and given a second chance during the 1,000 year reign of Christ. This is when Jehovah's kingdom comes and his will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. Mt6:9
Death is not a doorway to punishment for sin, it IS the punishment.
"That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned... " Ro5:9
" For he who has died has been acquitted from sin." Ro6:7
" I, even I, have said in my heart with regard to the sons of mankind that the [true] God is going to select them, that they may see that they themselves are beasts. For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust. Who is there knowing the spirit of the sons of mankind, whether it is ascending upward; and the spirit of the beast, whether it is descending downward to the earth? And I have seen that there is nothing better than that the man should rejoice in his works..." Ecs3:18
What will life be like under Jehovah's benevolent kingdom to come?
"And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more;
And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.
But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." Ps37:9
Everyone is invited!