b***@allvantage.com
2006-06-27 00:31:11 UTC
Re: Was "Re: Burning in the lake of fire!"
<<
You might be surprised to find out that the Bible does NOT teach of a
literal 'hellfire' place. (all caps for emphasis, not shouting)
Mark 9:43-45 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to
enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to
enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into
The word geenna (hell in KJV) occurs 12 times in the NT, 6 times
associated with the pur = fire word.
Hello,<<
You might be surprised to find out that the Bible does NOT teach of a
literal 'hellfire' place. (all caps for emphasis, not shouting)
Mark 9:43-45 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to
enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to
enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into
The word geenna (hell in KJV) occurs 12 times in the NT, 6 times
associated with the pur = fire word.
Respectfully, take another careful look at your Scripture cited above.
If we are to read these words literally, then worms must exist in hell
(gehenna). And these worms are not consumed by the fire, thus they must
have little S's on their shirts or bellies, because they are
superworms. I guess they had to be evil worms too, otherwise they would
be in a worm heaven or something. (or at least in a worm Purgatory)
To take a word literal that was meant to be symbolic can bring about
some unusual ideas, can't it.
Actually a little investigating can help to see what Jesus meant when
he was talking to those 1st century people about that gehenna "fire".
That Greek word gehenna draws its name from the "Valley of Hinnom". In
Jesus' day, this area was Jerusalem's garbage dump pit. Things such as
dead animals and bodies of executed criminals not deemed worthy of
burial, were thrown in it. A continual fire was kept burning by adding
sulfur, or brimstone. When dead bodies were tossed in it, and they did
not land completely in the fire, worms and maggots would infest the
putrefying flesh. (anyone for lunch?) No living people were tossed into
it. Just dead things.
Notice this reference on it:
The New Bible Commentary:
"Gehenna was the Hellenized form of the name of the valley of Hinnom at
Jerusalem in which fires were kept constantly burning to consume the
refuse of the city. This is a powerful picture of final destruction."
Of course, don't take my word for it. Look up the word in a good
reference work and see if it doesn't say something similar.
Thus, Jesus' listeners understood what he was getting at since they
were very acquainted with "the valley of Hinnom"(gehenna). So what was
the point Jesus was making?
It is evident that Jesus used Gehenna as representative of utter
destruction resulting from adverse judgment by God, hence with no
resurrection to life as a soul being possible. (see Ac 24:15)
Also, if you recall in the rest of my statements, I mentioned the "lake
of fire" in Revelation, and how that also was not literal (recall that
"death" was tossed into that alleged literal fire), but symbolizes
something else; the "second death".
And one more thing. Would you call a parent a 'loving parent, if he
would burn in a fire, his disobedient child to punish him? (and would
not people call that a sadistic act, and worthy of being arrested by
the police?) Then how can people accuse God of doing worse things, and
still claim God is a 'God of love'? (1 Jo 4:8) Or are the police more
righteous than God? Never will that happen!
Sincerely, James