Was Hell Consistently Taught from Genesis to Revelation?

Sea Breeze

Some sources cite that the word or concept of Hell appears 167 times in the old and new testament. Jesus spoke about Hell more than anyone else. How can such consistent warnings by many different writers over 1600 years all be parables?

Why would a man who predicted that he would die a brutal death and then resurrect himself from the dead, lie to us all? Doesn't make any sense.

Psalm 116:3

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Job 11:8

It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

2 Samuel 22:6

The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

Psalm 18:5

The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

Isaiah 33: 14-15

The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Isaiah 66:24

24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Matthew 25:41

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 14:9-12

If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

James 3: 6

And the tongue....is set on fire of hell.

Jesus said, “Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

Sea Breeze

Do you think that if more Jehovah's Witnesses believed Jesus on the topic of Hell, it would produce more people willing to accept Jesus' offer for forgiveness of sins instead of rejecting it at every Lords Supper?

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. - Mt. 26: 27-28

Under the spell of other teachings like, if you die you pay for your own sins and get a do-over in Paradise; I think that JW's are utterly indifferent about Jesus' offer for "forgiveness of sins".

Ding

The WT teaching about our deaths paying for our sins applies to everyone whether JW or not, doesn't it?

Vanderhoven7

There is one word in the Old Testament (OT) that is translated as hell. That word is the Hebrew word "Sheol". Sheol appears 65 times in the OT.

In the King James Version (KJV), Sheol is translated 31 times as hell; 31 times as grave and 3 times as pit.

In the New International Version (NIV) Sheol was translated 57 times as grave; 7 times as death and once as depths.

slimboyfat

To interpret Sheol as referring to hell would be a grave mistake

Jeffro

Sea Breeze:

How can such consistent warnings by many different writers over 1600 years all be parables?

Your fallacy: begging the question. There is no ‘consistent warning’ about hell throughout the Bible. Later interpretations were retroactively applied to the older texts. Additionally, later authors had access to the older texts. As such, your argument is neither accurate nor remarkable. (And it wasn’t over a period of 1,600 years. Some parts could have been written around the 10th century BCE, but the stories traditionally attributed to Moses were mostly written in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE.)

Jesus spoke about Hell more than anyone else.

There is no way of verifying that Jesus said anything attributed to him in texts written decades after his death.

Vanderhoven7

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTS THAT BECOME APPARENT ABOUT SHEOL?

Sheol is located downward in the dust of the earth. (Job 17:13-16)

Both the good and the bad go to Sheol.

Jacob and his sons go to Sheol. (Gen.42:38)

David planned to rest in Sheol. (Ps.16:9-10)

David desired his enemies also go down to Sheol, not in peace, but in blood. (I Kings 2:6,9)

By going to Sheol, Job misses God's wrath.

Job actually asks to be hidden in Sheol to escape God's anger. (Job 14:13)

The terms death, the grave, and destruction are so closely bound

as to be often interchangeable in the text (Pr.15:11, 24; 27:20).

Not too much goes on in Sheol.

There is no wisdom or knowledge there and no activity or work for those who go down to silence. (Eccl.9:10 Ps.6:5 Ps. 31:17)

No person praises God from Sheol (Ps.6:5; 88:10-12)

Figurative language is often associated with Sheol.

Beds are made In Sheol. Maggots are spread beneath the dead and worms cover them like a blanket. (Is.14:11)

Sheol is even personified. It is pictured as snatching sinners and robbing people of their remaining years. (Job 24:19);

Sheol has an appetite. It opens its mouth without limit.

It is never satisfied. (Pr.27:20) Sheol is naked before God. (Job.26:6)

Not only is Sheol personified, but it is also presented in satire, while incorporating some of the mythological views of Babylon and Egypt, to ridicule special visitors. Sheol, for example, is said to stir up dead kings, and have them rise from their thrones and welcome Israel's enemies. (Is.14:9,11,15; Ez.32: 21,24,27) These same leaders are also personified for dramatic purposes and pictured as carrying on a conversation in Sheol while still engaged in their lifetime pursuits, i.e., ruling.

MOST IMPORTANT: God will redeem souls from Sheol's power. (Ps.49:15)

Sheol will not have the last word. Sheol is going to be plagued and death is going to be destroyed! (Hos.13:14 KJV) Sheol is not eternal therefore, but temporary. God is with the righteous in Sheol and His promise is not to abandon them there forever. (Ps.16:10; 139:8)

SydBarrett

3rdgen

If a person uses the Bible as the Basis for his/her beliefs or simply regards it as 66 really old books with little value other than a little history, Vanderhoven is 100% correct.

Was Hell Consistently Taught from Genesis to Revelation?

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