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Before we get in to the different view points on the ultimate end to unbelievers, first I think now we should cover what happens when you die.
Do people go to Hell when they die?
Most Christians have the view that when you die if you’re a believer you go to Heaven, if you’re an unbeliever you go to hell and get tormented.
It is my view that no one is being tormented in hell right now.
Point one, unbelievers have not been judged, so why are they being tormented right now? Why tormented them now, then judge them, and then as the popular view has it, send them back to be tormented again?
Does God sentence someone before he judges them?
Problem two, Hell comes from translating the words Hades and Sheol, Hades is not the Lake of fire.
The Lake of fire is Gehenna
Hades is cast into the Lake of fire. If you are tormented in Hell, then go and get tormented in the lake of fire what is the difference?, why don't you just go back to Hell?
Sometimes in stead of using Hell the translators would use grave. Some say Grave is the correct translation, of these two words Hades and Sheol. Hades being a place of rest?
What about the rich man and Lazarus parable. First of all it is a parable, not a true story. With a parable, you have to work out what the different things mean. Who or what does the rich man represent. This also goes for Lazarus and Abraham.
“And with many such parables spake He the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake He not unto them: and when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.” (Mark 4:33, 34)
This tells us it is a parable but the Bible does not tell us what this parable means, hence the problem. Lazarus is the poor man, and represents the Gentiles he is poor spiritually {not for lack of food}, who are brought to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man is represents the Jews. He is not rich because he has a lot of money. The Jews were Spiritual rich, they had the scriptures, they had the high calling.
If the Gentiles are faithful they will have a close relationship with Abraham. On the other hand the rich unfaithful man ends up suffering.
"Judah [the Jews] proved to be totally unworthy of their high calling. Their heart’s turned from the declarations of God. Claiming Abraham as their father did not exonerate them either." from http://bible-truths.com/lazarus.html
So what does happen when you die?
Sleep?, I did not use to think people slept, when they died, surely believers went to Heaven and unbelievers go to hell. However some hold the view that you sleep. This view is held by some of those who believe in Christian Universalism but it is also held by some of those who believe in Annihilation.
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” (2 Peter 2:9)
This says they are being reserved for judgement.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave [Sheol], whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
Notice no work, no knowledge, no wisdom....
Job 3:17 “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.”
Job 14:13. “O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave [Sheol], that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!”
Experiencing much suffering Job asked God if he could go to Sheol, where he would have rest.
He would not have find rest if he was being tormented, and he clear would not have asked to go there.
Genesis 37:35. “And all his [Jacob’s] sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave [Sheol] unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.”
If the translators had used Hell, it would reveal that Jacob really believed that Joseph had gone to Hell and that Jacob believed that he to would go there when he died.
Objection, surely believers go to heaven. Not so fast, surely believers should be judged before they get to heaven. We known everyone is judged including believers. Believers get judged at the Resurrection of the Righteous.
Daniel 12:2 “And the multitude of those sleeping in the dust of the ground do awake, some to life age-during, and some to reproaches--to abhorrence age-during.”
This shows believers and unbelievers are asleep. Of course believers go to heaven, but they have to wait to be resurrected.
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit [Hebrew: Ruwach] shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
This shows the spirit goes back to God, when you are Resurrected, you get your spirit back. You sleep until the Resurrection.
“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. … For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand.” (Acts 2:34)
David is not ascended into the heavens, so where is he? We can see he will ascended, so why has he not ascended now? Maybe because he is asleep?
So did Christ go to Hell or the grave?
“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Hades], neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Acts 2:27)
Note that Peter was quoting, Psalm 16:10. “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Sheol]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10)
If the translators had used Grave, this would have shown that Christ slept in his tomb with his body.
No one is being tormented in Hell right now....
A note on mediums:
“This is also one of the reasons why God warns against spirit mediums and the like in His Law, because demons, who are deceiving spirits that belong to the kingdom of darkness, are very often the real source of so-called 'contact of the dead,' although many mediums and so-called psychics are just plain tricksters. 'Alien encounters' and other forms of Channelling also fall into the same deception. Humans in death are asleep.”
From http://www.purposeoflife.org.uk/hell%20doc.htm
Copyright © M J Farquharson 2006 & 2020
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