“Sometimes our stomachs would hurt, because we would go up to 15 days without eating,” Eduardo Vidana said. “There were times when we had only one bird to share among the three of us.”

In 2006, the BBC and other news outlets reported an astonishing event involving three Mexican fishermen.  In October ‘05, the fishermen left their small fishing village on the Pacific coast of Mexico to hunt for shark, taking only a few supplies.  But things didn’t go as planned.  A few miles out at sea, the motor on their 25-foot boat suddenly stopped working.

You know that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when something goes terribly wrong?  What might they have felt as they slowly began to drift towards the endless Pacific, instead of dry land?  With no power and no sail, they were at the mercy of the winds and currents.

Several times their boat almost capsized due to wild storms.  Sure, they were surrounded by water, but could not drink a single drop of it.  Instead, they got by drinking rainwater, and eating fish or the odd seagull that happened to land on the small boat for a rest – completely raw.  Nine whole months… the same thing day after day.  Scanning the horizon for any signs of help only to find nothing.  To put it in perspective, finding a small boat in the middle of the world’s largest ocean is like being told to find a single penny in the entire city of Brampton.  Hopeless.

But on the morning of August 9th, 2006, a large fishing vessel stumbled upon the three men accidentally – 5,000 miles from home, halfway to Australia.

What kind of feelings do you think coursed through them when they were finally discovered?  It’s hard to imagine the tidal wave of relief as the ship pulled alongside their tiny vessel.  They were desperately lost, but now, against all odds, they had been found.

Right now in Brampton, thousands are floating on the ocean of life without a sail: no clear purpose or direction.  Existing, yes.  Surviving, sure.  Despite how well life may appear to be on the outside, without God at the helm and His word as your compass, the situation is no better than our 3 Mexican friends.  In fact, in many respects they were better off because they actually knew they were desperately lost.

Could you imagine the ship pulling up alongside them after 9 months, and they shout up to the captain: “No, we’re OK.  Thanks for asking.  Just out for a day on the high seas!  Carry on.”

The amazing thing about God is that he has sent his Son, the Lord Jesus, who came to seek and to save those who are lost.  To actively bring them back to God.  To take them out of the ocean of sin, from being destroyed by the raging waves of life, to feed their souls with true nourishment, and to plant them on solid ground.

But for a variety of reasons, many people turn down his outstretched hand because they have grown accustomed to their life on the seas; “We’re OK!” Sadly unaware that God has something so much more for them.  We’re not speaking of religion here, but the true and living God.  Religion, even Christian religion, is an empty shell and a poor substitute for God.  And for those who hunger and thirst for more of Him, they are never disappointed.

Know that there is another path; an alternative to the empty blue horizon of individualism and materialism all around us. In an age of sophisticated technology, changing world situations, and crumbling relationships, we can continue to rely on the unchanging words of Jesus Christ and His offer of eternal life to all who will believe in Him. It might be the road less traveled, but it is the onlyroad that leads to eternal life.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

Earlier this week, we looked at King Solomon and the concept of Pharaoh’s Daughter…  an ingredient in his life that sat there all along, unchecked, and eventually led to his departure from God.  I’m willing to bet that we all have (or have had) “Pharaoh’s Daughters” in our lives.  These can’t be ignored if we are to fully embrace the Lord with all our hearts.

Luke 19 tells of a wonderful account in the ministry of the Lord Jesus:

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

He wasn’t just a tax collector; he was a chief tax collector.  There was not a more hated employment in the entire region.  Basically, tax collectors were employed by the Roman Empire to bilk citizens out of their hard-earned money.  They were seen as little more than traitors.  And to make matters worse, they often collected more than they were entitled to and pocketed it for themselves, which would explain Zacchaeus’ wealth.

But on this day, this short man humbled himself, climbing a tree to see the Lord as he passed by.  What might have been going through his mind and heart is anyone’s guess.  But one thing is sure: his desire to see the Lord over-road any thoughts of pride.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ “

Shocked.  Disgusted.  Turned off.  That would best describe the crowd’s impression of Jesus at this point.  To many of them, this might have felt like a dagger.  There must have been quiet as this thief carefully made his way down the tree.  Gazes were exchanged.

But the Lord was on a mission for the soul of one solitary individual.  It mattered not in the least what others thought. Sometimes we have this idea that certain people are simply beyond the reach of God, but this is not the case.  He went to Zacchaeus’ house that day, and whatever passed between them, this man repented.  Truly repented:

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

They could have just had a meal.  Zacchaeus could have waved Jesus good-bye after their meeting, feeling pretty good that such a well-known person had dined with him.  He could have lived on the fumes of this experience for a long time, and even justified his continued theft, thinking that Jesus had effectively excused him.  But no.  He repented.  He was ready for a life change.

He wasn’t looking to do just enough to clear his history.  He demonstrated the depth of his repentance and thankfulness by volunteering to repay his wrongs fourfold.  What the Lord says following Zacchaeus’ pledge is:

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Notice something very critical: it was when Zacchaeus repented that Jesus declared that salvation had come.  There was no declaration of salvation because a meal was shared or because of Zaccheus’ hospitality.  It comes through genuine, heartfelt repentance which results in a changed life going forward.

What is repentance? It is an inner change of mind and heart that occurs when a person is exposed to the glory of God and the forgiveness of sins offered through the Lord Jesus.  It is the door through which we must pass to embark on the path of salvation.  It is realizing that through Christ, you can put down your sins at the foot of the cross and begin to follow the Master.  It is something that happens within your heart, granted by God, that is supernatural.  It is real and it results in life change and a desire to draw closer to God.

And isn’t this precisely why Jesus came?  Look how he concludes his lunch that day: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

God is good.  All the time.

Approximately 1,000 years before Christ, Solomon ascended the throne of Israel upon the death of his father, King David.  On his deathbed, David gave his parting words to Solomon:

“So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements…” – 1 Kings 2:2-3

David had made a lot of moral mistakes and committed sin, but his heart was repentant and he genuinely desired to please God despite his own personal weakness and failing.  Over the course of his 47 year reign, he had virtually eliminated all of Israel’s common enemies, setting the stage for smooth sailing during Solomon’s reign.

In 1 Kings 3:1 we read:

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter.

It was customary during this period for national alliances to be sealed in blood.  But this was against the commands of the Lord who warned against a pagan spouse turning the heart of the Jewish husband or wife away from Him.  Perhaps Solomon felt this was old-fashioned or that the end justified the means.  And things appeared to go well… for a time.

One thing of importance I want to point out here: Pharaoh’s Daughter appears to have been Solomon’s first wife (or at least his first wife as king).  In sales there is a phrase, “Seed and grow.”  It means don’t try to get the big deal on the first day.  Get a little, get your foot in the door, and over a long period you’ll reap more than if you tried to get a massive deal from the beginning.  A besetting sin can start small, but it will demand more and more over time.  The “seed and grow” strategy appears to be one of the Devil’s favourites.

He started with a single foreign wife, but before it was all over he had a whopping 700!  Yes, 700.

King Solomon receives a vision from the Lord and because he asks for wisdom to rule his people well, instead of asking for riches and other things a typical man might lust after, God not only granted him wisdom but much more.  (1 Kings 3:10-15).  He awakes from this dream and puts his newfound wisdom into practice, to the acclaim of his own court and the nations roundabout.  It was a magnificent display! (1 Kings 3:16-28).

In chapter 4:29, we read:

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

To make a long story short, in seven he builds one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world: the Temple at Jerusalem.  Only after building a house for God did he proceed to build his own house, demonstrating what was great devotion.  The temple was furnished with the best furniture in the world; gold and silver were used in vast quantities.

He carried out a breathtaking temple dedication in which thousands upon thousands of animals were sacrificed and heartfelt prayers uttered.

He was prospering in so many ways.  No enemy could stand against him.  Trade with other nations was more lucrative than ever.  Monarchs from foreign courts paid him visits just to sit at his feet and try to glean some of the wisdom he demonstrated in all his dealings.

In 1 Kings 9, the Lord appears to King Solomon yet a second time!  How many men have had this experience?

In this same chapter (:24), we see Pharaoh’s daughter get only her second mention, this time over 20 years since he has been on the throne:

After Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the supporting terraces.

Never had a king prospered so:

Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days…  The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. (10:21, 27)

The end of Solomon’s life is surprising for a man who had 2 visions of God, built His temple, possessed more wisdom than any man before him and was the most prosperous king to ever sit upon Israel’s throne.

1 Kings 11 starts: King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.  They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.  He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

How did this happen?

He didn’t just tolerate these false gods, but actively built them altars and even worshiped them.   One foreign wife led to hundreds.  After all, it was expedient to keep the peace, no?

Somewhere along the line, with all his religious performance and the adulation of his court and foreign monarchs, he had lost his way.  All the while, sitting in the background was Pharaoh’s daughter.  Her influence might not have been strong, but it was steady.  As the proverb says,

“The steady dripping of the water wears away the stone.”

Instead of avoiding an illicit marriage or putting it to an end when he came to terms that it was not right in the eyes of God, he simply made an alliance – not with Pharaoh – but with compromise.

We all have sin in our lives and sin each day, but there are besetting sins (Hebrews 12:1) that we must not make alliance with.  They are strongholds we must overcome with the help and power of God.  When we don’t, instead allowing them to sit in the background unattended, as we carry on our religion, we are setting ourselves up for undoing.

So here’s the question: do you have any “Pharaoh’s daughters” in your life?  Areas that you know are destructive and leading you away from God, but that you can’t deal with right now?  Have you simply made an alliance with certain strongholds in your life?

It took her about 40 years to eventually bring him down, along with the other foreign wives.  She was never a main character.  She was a shadow, slowly undermining him after a full day in court; after an elaborate treaty or trade agreement was signed.

Today, the church in general has become a place of compromise and tolerance when it comes to sin.  But rest assured that this attitude will lead to destruction in the end.  Just like Solomon, who performed many wonderful works and had tremendous religious experiences, it avails little in the end if the heart is turned away from God.

He is merciful and will give us strength.  Our responsibility is to use the weapons He has provided to overcome areas in our lives that will destroy us if left unattended in the background.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… Rev 12:11

Part 1 of a 3 part series on Hell:

• Part 2: Hell in the New Testament?
• Part 3: Hell in the Gospels?

Is Hell a Biblical Teaching?

Over the centuries the doctrine of hell has evolved into becoming  one of the staple teachings in Christianity – both in Catholicism and Protestantism .  In fact, some well-known preachers today lament the fact that the teaching of hell is not being given enough of a hearing in our day, insinuating that this represents a departure from the truth of scripture.  There is no doubt that we are living in the age of compromise and it is evident that many have indeed departed far from the foundation of scripture, but when it comes to the doctrine of hell, is this an accurate assertion?

According to many, Hell has been defined as on one of two final destinations for all of mankind, with heaven being the other.  Because of the significance of this claim, this doctrine should be evaluated seriously.  The theory of everlasting torment is believed by millions.  If it is true then it should be widely preached.

So, the aim of this post is to explore if the Bible validates this key doctrine.

As Paul says in Ephesians 2:20, we are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”  What does this mean?  That there should be agreement across the spectrum of scripture, especially as it pertains to the final destinations of mankind.  The Bible does an excellent job of addressing the two final destinations, but it will surprise many that they are not heaven and hell, but eternal life and oblivion (eternal death without consciousness).

Here is our outline for exploring the doctrine of Hell:

• Old Testament references (below)
• Part 2: New Testament Books with no reference to Hell
• Part 3: The Gospels: Gehenna & Hades

The Old Testament:

The word Hell in the Old Testament is always a translation from the word Sheol.  The word Sheol occurs 64 times in the Old Testament, and is rendered “hell” 32 times, “grave” 29 times, and “pit” 3 times.

So it is important to know what Sheol actually means.  It is defined as the place or state of the dead, without distinction of who the person is or how they lived.  This means that King David, a man after God’s own heart is presently in Sheol (see Acts 2:29).  And so is King Ahab, an unrepentant individual who offered his children in sacrifice to idols.  Every man and woman referred to in the Old Testament, whether evil or righteous, is presently in Sheol – theplace or abode of the dead.  In itself, it has no connection whatsoever with future punishment.  It is simply death – the absence of life.   There is no consciousness or suffering.

In his physical torment, Job uttered these words (Job 14:13):

“If only you would hide me in the grave (sheol)
and conceal me till your anger has passed!”
If only you would set me a time
and then remember me!”

Speaking of the wicked, Job says: ”They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave (sheol) in peace.” (Job 21:13).

The writer of Ecclesiastes (9:10) had this to say of the state of the dead: ”Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

This is quite different than what we are told today.  The truth is that the Old Testament writers all consistently spoke of Sheol – a state of death with no consciousness – as the place we go when this life is over.  They believed in the resurrection at the end of the age.  In the following, notice how both the righteous and unrighteous go to the same place – the grave.  In the “morning” (the resurrection), the righteous receive their reward (eternal life).

Like sheep they [who trust in themselves] are destined for the grave,
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

But God will redeem my [soul] from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself. (Ps 49:14-15)

There are dozens of other instances we can look to.  In all them, it becomes clear that in the Old Testament, the doctrine of Hell as a place of torment is as foreign as the reincarnation or any other pagan teaching.  It is represented as death, the complete absence of life, just like darkness is no more than the absence of light.  A helpful consideration is that while the concept of a burning underworld does not make an appearance in the Old Testament, pagan religions were full of this imagery.

Conclusion of Part 1: Sheol is simply the abode of the dead.  It is a temporary, unconscious place that all people go when they die, irrespective of how they lived or what they believed.  At the time of the resurrection, “the earth will give birth to her dead.” (Isaiah 26:19b).  The word ‘Hell’ is never used, nor is the word Hades.  Sheol is the grave.  King David is there; Abraham is there; Isaiah is there.  Every man or woman who has ever lived goes to the grave at the time of their death, awaiting judgment at the time of resurrection.  (Heb 9:27).

Go to Part 2 >>

Part 2 of a 3 part series on Hell:

• Part 1: Introduction & The Old Testament
• Part 3: The Gospels: Hades & Gehenna

New Testament Books with NO reference to the doctrine of Hell

Based on Part 1, the honest reader will understand that in the Old Testament, the doctrine of Hell is simply not there at all.  Instead, the promise was life from the grave at the time of the resurrection instead of eternal oblivion.   Now let’s turn our attention to the New Testament.  Before exploring the various references to Hell in Matthew, Mark and Luke, you will find the following observations interesting.

Did you know that the doctrine of Hell is not mentioned a single time in ALL of the following New Testament books?

Gospel of John: does not contain even a single reference to Hell.  Instead, consistent with the Old Testament, we are presented with the concept of eternal life and death at the time of the resurrection (6:39, 6:40, 6:43, 6:54, 11:24).  Likewise in all three of John’s epistles (1 John, 2 John & 3 John) we see there is not a single mention of Hell.

The Book of Acts: Luke’s treatise covers approximately 30 years from the time of the Lord Jesus’ ascension to heaven.  Not a single time does the doctrine of Hell make an appearance here either.  Isn’t it thought-provoking that this would be the case seeing as it contains an extensive record of apostolic teaching, and there were several occasions when Hell would have been appropriate to mention?  The Jews are addressed as are Gentiles and not a single mention of one of two final destinations of mankind?  Very odd.Wouldn’t it have been appropriate to mention on the Day of Pentecost when Peter spoke boldly and gave warnings?  How about when Paul was in Ephesus or any of the other cities in which a concept of the underworld was already well-developed?  Why not in front of royalty in Acts 26?The only time the word Hell appears in Acts is when Peter quotes a Psalm (16:10) in chapter 2, verse 27: “…because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”

Here the Greek word ‘Hades’ is used to translate the Hebrew word ‘Sheol’.  This is definite proof that the ‘Hades’ of the New Testament has the same meaning as ‘Sheol’ in the Old Testament.  Was the soul of Christ ever in hell, in the orthodox sense of the word, as a place of endless torment? No, the writer is speaking of the resurrection of Christ, that is, from the grave, or the dead.  We know this because of what the Lord Jesus says of Himself in Rev 1:18: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

What does Jesus mean?  Did Jesus actually die?  Yes.  You would have to seriously distort this text to come up with another meaning.  Isaiah (53:12) also mentions that the Messiah “poured out his life unto death.”

As we have already covered, it is nothing more than the state of the dead, with absolutely no consciousness.  To further bolster this point, in his discourse on the day of Pentecost, Peter mentions King David, saying “For David did not ascend to heaven…” (Acs 2:34).

Epistles of Paul: the great apostle wrote 14 different epistles.  Again, not a single mention of hell.  But he speaks plenty of times about eternal life versus death.  For example, in Romans 6:23, he writes that, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.”  Two final destinations contrasted against each other.In 1 Corinthians 15:55, we find him writing, “O death where is your sting? O grave (hades) where is your victory?” He goes on to say that the “sting of death is sin.”  Sin fastened itself upon Adam, and through him the entire human race has been stung by death.   But as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14), so the Lord Jesus, the great Sin-Bearer for the world, has been lifted up so that all can see and know His saving power and conquest over sin and death.   Those who look to Him as their Savior will live forever.  At the time of His return, the temporary victory of the grave (Hades/Sheol/Hell), the death condition that affects us all, will be taken away.  All God’s children in the grave (Hades/Sheol/Hell) are to be awakened from the sleep of death, and given eternal life in the presence of the Lord Jesus and God the Father.At this time, Hades/Sheol/Hell will be destroyed.  In effect, death actually dies, leaving only life.  This what Paul means when he says, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” We are assured of this in Revelation 20, where the word Hell appears for the last time: “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” (Rev 20:14).  It is utterly destroyed.

The Epistle of James: though there is no explicit teaching on the doctrine of Hell in James’ epistle, he does employ the word ‘Gehenna’ which we will explore in more detail below.  James 3:6.  If we hold to a traditional concept of Hell here, it is difficult to explain the meaning of this text.  But as we shall see, when we think of Gehenna being a symbol of destruction, it is readily seen that what James means is that the tongue, moved by selfishness and hate, is set on fire or caused to speak, by influences which, if left unchecked, are sure to lead to judgment and death.

The Epistles of Peter: while Peter makes reference to a place called ‘Tartarus’, he is speaking of angels, not mankind (2 Peter 4).  Interestingly, the word Tartarus only shows up once in the entirety of scripture.   It is figurative language describing the lost state of fallen angels.  Just as they are not literally bound in “chains of darkness”, they are not in a physical or spiritual state of torment.  It is referencing their spiritual darkness.  In Greek mythology, it represented a place in the underworld even lower than Hades.  In any event,  no respectable Bible student would build a doctrine on a single vague reference.

Conclusion of Part 2: if there is indeed such a place as Hell, were the apostles faithful to the souls committed to their charge by not mentioning it even a single time?  John Baptist, who preached to the most wicked of men, did not use it once either.

Not a mention in the entire Gospel of John.  No reference to Hell in the entire Book of Acts, which spanned 30 years of ministry across the Roman Empire, including Judea.  In Paul’s 14 letters, it was not even hinted at once.  James?  Peter? Jude? John’s three epistles?  Nothing.  We are left only with the first three Gospels (addressed next) and the symbolic book of Revelation (four times, already addressed).

Go to Part 3 >>

Part 3 of a 3 part series on Hell:

• Part 1: Introduction & The Old Testament
• Part 2: Hell in the New Testament

The Gospels: Hades and Gehenna

So far we have seen that the doctrine of Hell is invisible in the Old Testament.  Likewise, this teaching – though elevated to such importance today by so many – makes no appearance in numerous books of the New Testament.  Books where it would have been extremely important to mention.  This is especially odd because, as we have mentioned, Hell supposedly represents one of the final two destinations of mankind.

We will explore the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke now (John’s Gospel does not mention Hades/Gehenna/Hell once).  But before we do, hopefully you are seeing that the afterlife does not consist of either heaven or hell, but resurrection to eternal life from the power of the grave or the wages of sin, which is eternal death.

Now, let’s explore the concept of Hell as it appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.  There are two words rendered ‘Hell’ in English, derived from the Greek.  These are ‘Hades’ and ‘Gehenna’.  Let’s look at them both in turn.

Hades

The word Hades is from Greek mythology originally.  It was their nether world – where people went where they were dead.  It was a dark subterranean realm on a distant island, where the dead were conducted to on a ferry by the god Charon.  Would Jesus really have used Greek mythology in any form, and thereby validate it, to describe life after death?  No, we understand that Hades is the Greek word that the original Aramaic Jesus actually spoke was translated to (for scriptures with Aramaic words/references see: Mark 5:41, Mark 7:34, Mark 14:36, Matt 5:22, Matt 6:24, Matt 27:46/Mark 15:34, John 20:16, Acts 26:14).

In the entire New Testament, this word Hades occurs eleven times.  In the gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) this word is attributed to Jesus on 3 occasions:

“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths (Hades). If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day” (Matthew 11:23; similarly Luke 10:15).

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18)

“In hell (Hades), where he was in torment, [the rich man] looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire’ ” (Luke 16:23-24)

Only a single passage describes hades as a place of torment, the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31).  In other places the Lord speaks of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” to symbolize what people who thought they were on the path to life finally realize they were not.  For instance, Jesus says, “”There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” (Luke 13:28).  Look at what causes the weeping and gnashing: the final realization that they will be utterly destroyed when all along they were convinced of their righteousness.

Now, let’s go back to the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.  Firstly, this is parable directed specifically at the Pharisees in attendance that day (v 14): “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”  The Lord Jesus decided the graphically turn the tables on them and demonstrate that a certain unrecoverable state awaited them.

If we are to take certain parts of this parable literally, we can get onto shaky ground.  For example, where is Abraham at the moment?  We have already covered the fact that he is, like David, dead and buried, awaiting the resurrection.  He certainly is not in heaven.  As Jesus said, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”  (John 3:13).  The best way to understand the parable is to grasp the context and the true message for which it was intended.

One other important aspect of understanding is seeing that Hades is the equivalent of Sheol in the New Testament – the abode of the dead.  We know this because of what Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, quoting from Psalm 16:10, regarding the Messiah.  In Psalms the word used is Sheol.  In Acts, the word used is Hades.   This proves a continuous, consistent understanding of the state of the dead, flowing from the Old to the New Testament.

Gehenna

Though Gehenna occurs twelve times, the Savior actually used it only on four or five different occasions, the rest being only repetitions.

Gehenna was actually a physical location, which means “Valley of Hinnom” in Hebrew.

In Jewish history, the Valley of Hinnom has a terrible reputation.  In the days leading up to the Kings, it was used for idol worship and sacrifice.  King Josiah ended these practices during his reign.  After this they held the place in such abomination that they cast into it all kinds of filth, and the carcasses of beasts, and the unburied bodies of criminals who had been executed. Continual fires were necessary in order to consume these, lest the putrefaction should infect the air; and there were always worms feeding on the remaining relics. Hence it came, that any severe punishment, especially an infamous kind of death, was described by the word Gehenna, or hell.

The word Gehenna, or hell, then, in the New Testament is used as a symbol of anything that was foul and repulsive; but especially as a figure of dreadful and destructive judgments.

What is more, it was a place that everyone living in Jerusalem, and the towns round about, was aware of since it was the city dump.  When the Lord employed it as a symbol for utter destruction of those unworthy of life they would be quick to get the force of the illustration.  It was a place of no return, plagued by worms and constant fire, not unlike a modern day dump in a third world city.  Remember, much of Jesus’ teachings were parabolic, intended to drive home a key message that painted vivid pictures in the minds of His listeners – those with ears to hear.

Conclusion of Part 3: Hades is identical to Sheol – an unconscious state of the dead; the grave.

Stop for a moment and consider: the word Hades is attributed to Christ 3 times and Gehenna a maximum of 5.  In the English, some Bibles haven’t distinguished the usage, labeling both as ‘Hell’.  Gehenna was nothing more than a burning garbage heap outside the city.  In reference to Hades, only one scripture (Luke 16:19-31), describes hell as a place of torment.

It is very plain that neither in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, nor in the New, does the word hades convey the meaning which the present English word hell, in the Christian usage, always conveys to our minds.

Common visions of hell are more derived from Dante’s ‘Inferno’ than they are from the Bible; more from pagan concepts (Greek mythology and others) than from what the Bible actually teaches.

Let’s conclude with what the Bible does clearly teach: there is coming a day, at the return of Christ, in which all mankind will be resurrected to face judgment, and receive either eternal life in the physical Kingdom of God or eternal death.

Why the doctrine of Hell is preached by many well-meaning and respected pastors, it is errant teaching.  It has served as a great motivator for many to come to the faith (to avoid vivid and tortuous punishment), but is simply not true.