Is the Bible “hell” a place of eternal torture?
By Toto
@totobasso (331)
Canada
December 9, 2015 5:08am CST
Almost all religions teach some kind of a “hell”, that is a place of everlasting torture where the wicked go as a punishment for doing wicked things. In “hell” the wicked are in an eternal fire where they suffer continually.
However, does the Bible also espouse this teaching?
The word “hell” seems to be a transliteration of the Hebrew word sheohl which is described as a place where everyone goes at death. It is not really a place but a condition where everyone goes at death, the grave and it is an actual place where there is no suffering or pain. Some Bibles have translated sheohl as the grave or the world of the dead. (Compare Genesis 37:35 where word sheohl appears for the first time in the Bible.
The equivalent Greek word is hades and the Greek word gehenna was a place where garbage and dead bodies of those unworthy of a decent burial were thrown in a fire that was kept continually burning
Genesis 37:35 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Sheol (the place of the dead)
Genesis 37:35 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) the grave
Genesis 37:35 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) hell
Do you think that the Bible teaches “hell” as a place of torture?
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A place of literal eternal torture is out of harmony with a God of love and justice. "God loved the world so much and there is no injustice with God."
The Bible presents life as a reward and death as a punishment. This is what was offered to Adam and Eve and this is what Jesus described in the choosing of the narrow road and the wide road.
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Some interesting scriptures about the Bible "hell":
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 'the dead are not conscious and have no knowledge'
Acts 2:25-27 Jesus went to hell
Revelation 20:13-14 hell delivered up the dead and hell and death are cast into the lake of fire
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What about Matthew 25:46? The Greek word here is neither hades nor gehenna but kolasin. This word can also be translated as “cutting’off” as when a branch is cut off from a tree. What happens to the branch when it is cut off from a tree? It dies. How is death an everlasting punishment? Since the reward for pleasing God is everlasting life then death is an everlasting punishment.
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What about Revelation 14:9-11 and 20:10? Can death be “eternal torment”? Yes, think of death or the grave as a jail. While there is no pain or consciousness in death, the fact that there is no life is an eternal punishment or torture. Think of a parent that punishes a child by telling them to go to their room. The punishment is the cutting off of the child from any family activity.
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This is only one point of view on the subject of "hell" and there are others. I would encourage each one to do their own prayerful research.
6 people like this
2 responses
@Letranknight2015 (51938)
• Philippines
9 Dec 15
I worried a lot since i don't go to church any more. i thought going to church makes you get closer to god when it's actually the deeds, which i so suck at
3 people like this
@totobasso (331)
• Canada
9 Dec 15
Exactly, going to a place of worship does not necessarily make a person good.To do what pleases God is a constant fight and with God's help we can succeed. If at first we don't succeed. let us try and try again. All the best!
1 person likes this
@just4him (317040)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
10 Dec 15
@Letranknight2015 - deeds will not get you to heaven. Consider Ephesians 2:8-9 also Titus 3:5
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37350)
• Toccoa, Georgia
8 Jan 16
Yes, The Bible is very explicit in regards to Hell being an eternal place of torture.