Through my travels I have been hearing less and less about Hell. I began to think that it's as if it's being downplayed by preachers. So I checked out some statistics and found out in a recent survey poll, 70% of ministers polled said, 'We do not believe in Hell" Many of my Orthodox Jewish friends also say to me that they don't believe in a literal Hell. Let's take a close look at the scriptures from both the O.T. (Old Testament) and the N.T. (New Testament).
Compare: Luke 16:19-31; Psalms 9:17; Revelation 20:14,15; 21:8.
Jehovah's Witnesses say: "Hell" simply means the grave. The Hebrew "Sheol", the Gk. "Hades" and the Gk. "Gehenna" are all translated "Hell" in the Bible, but we believe that all they mean is simply the grave. (They say it)
But that is not what the Bible says The Bible says there is a literal Hell! 162 times in the New Testament alone the Bible talks of Hell! Man's unbelief does not make the Word of God of none effect! Let God be true but every man a liar! (Romans. 3:3,4)
In the Old Testament The Hebrew. word "Queber" is translated "grave." (the place where the body goes at death)
In the Old Testament The Hebrew. word "Sheol" is translated by three English words:
(1) "Hell" (31 times) (the place where soul and spirit go at death - the place of
departed spirits. Deut 32:22; II Sam. 22:6; Job ll:8; 26:6; Ps. 9:17; 16:10; 18:5;
55:15; 86:13; 139:8; Prov. 5:5; 7:27; 9:18; 15:ll,24; 23:14; 27:20; Is. 5:14; 14:9,15;
28:15,18; 57:9; Ez. 31:16,17; 32:21,27; Amos 9:2; Jonah 2:2; Hab. 2:5.
(2) 'Grave" (31 times) Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29,31; I Sam. 2:6; I Ki. 2:6,9; Job 7:9;
14:13; 21:13; 24:19;33:22; Ps 6:5; 30:3; 31:17; 49:14,15; 88:3; 89:48; 141:7;
Prov. 1:12; 30:16; Ecci. 9:10; Song 8:6; Is. 14:ll; 38:10,18; Ez. 31:15; Hos. 13:14.
(3) "Pit" (3 times) Num. 16:30,33; Job 17:16.
NOTE: Sheol-Hades should be translated "Hell" in every reference, as can be clearly
seen in the above Scriptures.
OBSERVATIONS: In the O.T. we are taught:
1.-The body never goes to "Sheol" but goes to "Queber" (37 times). (proving "Queber" is the grave, and "sheol" is the place of departed spirits)
2.-"Sheol" is never on earth but "Queber" is on earth (32 times). (proving "Queber" is the grave, and "Sheol" is the place of departed spirits)
3.-Man never puts another man into "Sheol" but does in Queber (33 times). (proving man can put another man in the grave, but cannot put a soul in Hell)
4.-Man makes a "Queber" (grave) but never makes a "Sheol" (hell) (6 times).
5.-Man never touches "Sheol" but touches "Queber" (6 times).
IN THE N.T.: The Greek word for "grave" is "mnaymion", and it is translated "grave." IN THE N.T.: The word "hell" is found 24 times. Jesus, truly a hell, fire, and
brimstone preacher, preaches on hell 22 times. Peter uses it once, and James uses it once. Two Greek words are translated "hell" in the New Testament.
The Greek word "Hades" (same as 0. T. "Sheol1") is translated "hell" eleven times. The Greek word "Gehenna" is translated "hell" thirteen times. -Jesus uses these two words for hell.
NOTE: According to Revelation 20:13-15 there are at present no souls in "gehenna" - all souls of the wicked dead are in "Hades".
IN THE N.T.: Jesus used "Hades" (hell -place of departed spirits of wicked dead)
11 times (Note: "Hades" the N.T. equivalent of the 0.T. "Sheol") Matt. ll: 23; 16:18; Luke 10:l5;
16:23; Acts 2:27; 2:31; I Cor. 15:55 ("oh, grave-hell"); Rev. 1:18;
6:8; 20:13,14. (Read each verse and insert "Hades" for "hell.") You can get no grave out of
"Hades."
Jesus used "gehenna" (hell -final penitentiary of lost souls) eleven times.
Matt. 5:22; 5:29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15; 23:33; Mk. 9:43 (44); 9:45~~(48); Lk. 12:5. (Read each
verse and insert "gehenna" for "hell.") If you can get a grave out of "gehenna", you're a miracle
person indeed.
James used "gehenna" (hell) one time - James 3:6. Peter used "gehenna" (hell) one time - II Peter 2:4
IN THE N.T.: There are 139 more Scriptures describing Hell, though not specifically using the very word "hell", but using other descriptive words. See Matt. 3:12; 7:13; 8:12; 13:40; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; 25:41,46; Mk. 9:44,46,48; 16:16; Luke 13:28; Jn. 3:36; 5:28; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:5,6,8; II Thess. l;8,9; Heb. 6:2,8; 9:27; 10:26,31;
II Pet. 2:9; Rev. 14:10,11; 19:20; 20:10,15; 21:8; etc..Check concordance for remaining references.
NOTE: For every one verse in the Bible on Heaven there are ten verses on Hell! Jesus himself talked much more about Hell than He did about Heaven!
The Bible clearly and plainly says there is a real, literal hell! A careful study
of Luke16:19-31 will reveal the following startling truths! Hell is a real place!
It is the eternal destiny of every lost soul! Listen to what Jesus says:
1.- Hell is a place of unending life v.22,26)
(The rich man died and was buried, but after death, he had eyes to see, fingers to
feel, ears to hear, lips to speak, a tongue to taste, a soul to live forever in Hell.)
2.- Hell is a place of unsatisfied desires. (v.19)
(Desires of rich man for money, worldly pleasure, etc. could never be satisfied in hell]
3.- Hell is a place of untold suffering. (v.23,24,25,28)
(The rich man was tormented by intense heat, flame, fire and brimstone continually.)
4.- Hell is a place of ungodly associations. (v.19) Cf. Rev. 21:8; I Cor. 6:9-11.
(It will be populated with the vilest, most sinful and ungodly men and women, who, like the rich man, forgot God.)
5.- Hell is a place of undulled (keen) memory. (v.25)
(Rich man remembered his whole past life in panoramic view. He remembered it all!)
6.- Hell is a place of unabated (vivid) consciousness. (v.23-25)
(Rich man had eyes to see, ears to hear, a tongue to speak, fingers to touch, a mind to think, a memory to recall, etc.. He was in a conscious state.)
7.- Hell is a place of unclaimed (lost) opportunities. (v.29-31)
(Rich man had opportunities to do good to Lazarus and others, had opportunity to live right and godly as Lazarus had lived, but he didn't.)
8.- Hell is a place of unanswered prayer. (v.24,27)
(Rich man cried and prayed, and had a prayer meeting, but it was too late.)
9.- Hell is a place of unauthorized (no) return. (v.26)
(The rich man had absolutely no way out of hell; hell has no exit ramps)
Who wants to go to Hell? Who wants to escape going to Hell? Nobody needs to go
to Hell! God sends no one to Hell! Men and women choose to go there by their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ! The choice is mine! The choice is yours! Choose to go
to Heaven!
