|
As incredulous as it seems to us, we were told by a couple not so long ago, that if
Yahweh was not going to torture people in hell fire for all eternity; then it was not
worth them putting out a warning message. It seems that eternal death was not
enough for these folk. They actually wanted to believe that Yahweh was going to
torture people for all eternity. Eternity is a very long time, in fact it never ends.
With that in mind, let us ask this question. Would Yahweh Elohim repay 70/80 years
of sinning; with a punishment of torture in hell fire that lasted eternally without
end?
Would this be in keeping with the character of Yahweh our Elohim? To put it
bluntly; folk who think it would be, simply do not Know Yahweh Eloheinu.
Before we take a scriptural look at exactly what Gehenna (hell) Fire is, let us look
briefly at the character of Yahweh Himself.
Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith Adonai YAHWEH, I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way
and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house
of Israel?
Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that
one of these little ones should perish.
We can see from the above scriptures that not only does Yahweh have no pleasure
in the death of the wicked but also that it is not His Will that any should perish.
So how can we imagine that an Elohim who wants none to perish, could take
pleasure and or revenge in eternal torture. Are we to suggest that Yahweh is sadistic
enough to take pleasure in torturing people endlessly?? HEAVEN FORBID! That is
straight out of the mind of Ha Satan. Yahweh is forever merciful.
Please also note that Eze.33:11 plainly states “for why will you die” not,
“why will you go to eternal torture.”
Jer 3:12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return,
thou backsliding Israel, saith YAHWEH; and I will not cause mine anger to fall
upon you: for I am merciful, saith YAHWEH, and I will not keep anger for ever.
Here in Jeremiah 3:15 we see Yahweh stating that He is merciful and that He will
not keep anger forever.So once again we ask how can it be thought that YAHWEH
will stay angry enough to torture people in hell fire for all eternity? Where does this
erroneous teaching come from?
Popularised by such cartoon characters as we see to our left here, the idea of
the wicked living forever in hell fire with the devil is usually based on the following
scriptures.
Mar 9:43 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 fire that never
shall be quenched:
Mar 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:45 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 fire that never shall
be quenched:
Mar 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into
hell fire:
Mar 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mat 25:41 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:
Isa 66:24 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.
Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Ruach Ha Qodesh hath
never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Many who claim they “take the scriptures literally” believe that the above scriptures,
“prove” that Yahweh is going to torture folk for eternity in the lake of fire.
We also take the scriptures for what they say.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Elohim is eternal life
through Yah’shua Messiah our Sovereign.
So how do we reconcile the scriptures with each other? For there is no contradiction
in scripture.
Firstly we need to look at all the pertinent scriptures. Secondly we need to look at
the meaning of words in their original form. Thirdly we need to examine the way
in which these words have been previously used.
The words causing the most confusion in this case are in the English ‘eternal’ and
‘everlasting.’ They cause confusion because, they are words that we all presume we
understand the meaning of. Therefore we tend to take it for granted that we
understand correctly. But do we? Let’s see.
In Malachi 4 we read the following:-
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the
proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh
shall burn them up, saith YAHWEH of hosts, that it shall leave them neither
root nor branch.
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise
with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the
stall.
Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the
soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith YAHWEH of hosts.
Clearly these wicked people here mentioned will not be tortured forever, but will
become ashes. Some people have their ashes scattered places after they have
been cremated, but no one believes that the person lives on in the ashes. So why
does anyone expect that folk will be alive in Yahweh’s cremation fire? It really
does all come down to those words ‘eternal’ and ‘everlasting’
We see here in Jude that Sodom and Gomorrha were burnt with eternal fire.
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like
manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,
are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Now we all know that Sodom and Gomorrha are not still burning today.
In 2 Peter we also see mention of Sodom and Gomorrha.
2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes
condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto
those that after should live ungodly;
So we see here in 2 Peter that Yahweh turned those cities into Ashes for an
example of what will happen to the wicked. Those people are not living in hell fire
they are now nothing but ashes.
In this context the word eternal refers to the effect of the fire, not the flames
themselves. Burn anything at all, paper, a log, even plastic, the flames will only
last as long as there is something to consume, but as soon as all is consumed the
flames go out leaving nothing but a few ashes or in the case of plastic a nasty little
residual lump. But the effect of the flames will be eternal, you cannot return the
paper wood or plastic to it’s former condition it’s irreversible and eternal. As will be
death in Gehenna Fire
In the gospel of John we read:-
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We see here above in John 3:16 that people will either “perish” or have everlasting
life. So what exactly does the word ‘perish’ mean?
Strong’s reference G622 ἀ?πό?λλυμι - apollumi - ap-ol'-loo-mee
From G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose),
literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
Here once again we find the reference is to everlasting death. The second death.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death.
Always we see it comes back to that which is stated so simply in Romans 6:23
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Elohim is eternal
life through Yah’shua Messiah our Sovereign.
So what is “their worm” that “dieth not” which we read of earlier in Mark9:43-48.
Strong’s reference G4663 σκώ?ληξ -- skō?lē?x -- sko'-lakes
Of uncertain derivative; a grub, maggot or earth worm: - worm.
We see from the Strong’s reference that this is a maggot. Now we all know that
it does not take long for any carcass to develop maggots- but no one would ever
consider the ‘maggot’ to be a ‘part of’ or ‘in place of’ the original animal upon which
it developed. So it is a little bit of a mystery why, some suddenly believe in this
instance, that the maggot some how contains the consciousness of the person,
that will suffer in hell fire eternally. That is quite bizarre thinking. Why would
Yah’shua have mentioned their maggot? Yah’shua talked in parables, which are
literally word pictures. He drew people verbal pictures so they would get the
message. Could it be that He mentioned the “maggots” to get folk to take note?
Maggots make most folk squirm, they are horrible things- nothing is any use to
anyone after maggots get to it. Becoming Maggot fodder is quite a final event
there is no return from being maggot fodder.
But let us think about this a little, Gehenna was actually a place. It was the place
where Judah sacrificed their children to Molech.
G1067 γέ?εννα geenna gheh'-en-nah
Of Hebrew origin ([H1516] and [H2011]); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna
(or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the
place (or state) of everlasting punishment: - hell.
Jer 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley
of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which
I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
Jer 19:2 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the
entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,
Jer 19:3 And say, Hear ye the word of YAHWEH, O kings of Judah, and
inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith YAHWEH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel;
Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears
shall tingle.
As we see in Jeremiah 19:3 Yahweh purposed for Gehenna to become a place, that
the mention of, would bring feelings of dread to the people.
When Yah’shua walked among men Gehenna was the city rubbish dump, the smoke
from the smouldering of putrifying garbage rose continually. Such a place does
of course attract flies. The larvae of flies are the maggots, maggots themselves
are known to generate heat up to 53 degrees celcius, so is it any wonder that the
“fire is not quenched.” It does not take long for maggots to become flies and produce
more maggots. So it is also easy to see how “their maggot never dies.”
We have in this life a choice. That is to follow Yahweh or to follow Ha Satan, the
choice is yours, the choice is mine. Yahweh will not make that choice for you or me.
HaSatan will try to push you to his way. The choice is however still yours and mine.
Deu 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and
evil;
Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that
both thou and thy seed may live:
The essence of the message Yahshua gave in Mark 9. is that either we repent and
follow Yahweh or we end up in the dump with the rest of the garbage.
Ha Satan is otherwise known as Baalzebub, which means Lord of the flies, if we
continue to follow Ha Satan we already have spiritual maggots.
2Ki 1:16 And he said to him, So says YAHWEH, Because you have sent
messengers to ask of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it because there is not
a God in Israel to inquire of His Word? Therefore, you shall not come down
from the bed on which you have gone up, for dying you shall die.
The message is SIMPLE, repent and follow YAHWEH or DIE for ALL TIME.
Even life in a place of eternal punishment, would be ‘eternal life’ even if it was not
a very pleasant life. Eternal life is ONLY given to those who truly repent and follow
YAHWEH. The alternative is eternal death.
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
Gehenna.
Gehenna- the rubbish dump with the flies and maggots.
Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith Adonai YAHWEH, I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way
and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house
of Israel?
|
