jehovah witnesses and hell

8/6/2019 Jehovah Witnesses and Hell

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Hell

Two Different Hells:"I often wondered whether my father, an alcoholic, had gone to hell or to heaven. I was terrified by the dead

and by the idea of hellfire. I could not understand how a loving God couldsend someone to suffer eternally in hell."A former Catholic in Brazil.1 (Appearedin The WatchtowerDecember 1, 2003 Emphasis mine)

The Watchtower Society teaches its members the Jehovahs Witnesses todenounce the idea of hell (a place of punishment and torment) reducing it to thecommon grave where "Soul sleep" takes place, where the dead one would beunconscious or asleep until the resurrection. Mainstream Christianity views it asa reality of consequence. A place reserved for the wicked who by definitionhave not turned from their wicked life, asking for forgiveness, hence receivingthe gift of eternal life through Jesus Christs death on the cross. TheWatchtowers view final punishment for the wicked is the annihilating of thewicked (total destruction). It is as if they never existed.

These two optional truth scenarios present two different views of justice:

1. Unsaved ones will simply be destroyed / annihilated with no eternalconsequences. The wicked and the memory of their wickedness would bedeleted. The Righteous will live forever in bliss; the wicked get erased.

2. The unsaved who had chances to be saved have refused to repent andbelieve in the only one who could offer them forgiveness. Hence making

them right with God. These will forever suffer the consequences of theirown decision. The Righteous will live forever in bliss; the wicked will liveforever eternally separated from God, tormented day and night.

So who is right? Both groups believe they are.

Do both groups believe that their road is the only way? I will quote directly fromthe Watchtower website:

Questions Often Asked by Interested People

Do the Witnesses believe that their religion is the only right one?Anyone who is serious about his religion should think that it is the right one.Otherwise, why would he or she be involved in it? Christians are admonished:"Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine." (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Aperson should make sure that his beliefs can be supported by the Scriptures,for there is only one true faith. Ephesians 4:5 confirms this, mentioning "one

1http://www.watchtower.org/e/20031201/article_02.htm


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Lord, one faith, one baptism." Jesus did not agree with the modern, relaxedview that there are many roads, many religions, all leading to salvation. Instead,he said: "Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and feware the ones finding it." Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have found it.Otherwise, they would look for another religion.Matthew 7:14.2

Both Mainstream Christianity and The Watchtower would agree this statement.

Therefore: We have two opposing views; both of which claim to be the truth.Two opposing views cannot both be the truth.

Make no mistake! People want to know for sure where they will spend eternity.If either option is true over the other being a false option; youd better hope youroption is correct, especially if the consequence of the wrong optional belief iseternity in a place of torment. I mean we are talking about the eternal wellbeing of the soul here and not the opinion of a favorite color. Both groupsespecially those who are facing eternal fire if they are wrong, had better make

sure they are possessors of the truth.

Jesus said to Pilate, Matthew 37-38 I came into the world, to testify to thetruth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

Then Pilate asked the all time fundamental question all have asked and havetried to answer before him and after him. He asks our Lord Jesus, What istruth?

Webster dictionary: Fact that can be verified.

Truth by definition is exclusive, therefore cannot be all inclusive. Author: Ravi Zacharias in book JESUS AMONG OTHER GODS

This means that truth can be tested. Simple Logic can test truth. I found this analogy online:A cannotbe non-A. For example, if the parrot is on my shoulder (A), then it cannot benot on my shoulder at the

same time (non-A). (Truth by definition is exclusive) ... You can test this with any statement. For example,a math teacher may ask the class to solve for 3+5. If I say the answer is 7 and Fred says the answer is 8, then

either he is right, or I am right, or, in this case, there could be a third alternative that we are both wrong.However, we cannot have different answers and both be right (all inclusive). This is because the answer 8,which corresponds to reality, is exclusive (i.e. there is only one true, right answer). Notice that in this and in the

previous example there was, in fact, a situation, which corresponded to reality (there was a true answer.)

I pray you will seek the truth with an open heart as well as with an objectivemind.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith;test yourselves 1Corinthians 13:5

2www.watchtower.org/e/jt/article_08.htm


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To do this fair I will quote directly from Watchtower tracks you can find online. Ihave heavily relied on two tracks on the subject. They are part of a series calledWhat Has Happened to Hellfire? & What Really Is Hell? These articlescan be found at the following web addresses:

www.watchtower.org/e/20020715/article_01.htmwww.watchtower.org/e/20020715/article_02.htm

The first article has no scripture references and is really an article attempting toprove that Mainstream Christianity has conjured up the idea of hell. Then itgoes on mainly to briefly quote history in an attempt to prove their argument. Ionly quoted the first part. I did, however, find an Internet resource that providesa good historical perspective, which I have included at the end of thisdocument. You will find that historically hell was believed to be a place of fierypunishment.

Mainly I wish to show what the bible says about the subject. This is because forthe Mainstream Christian: The bible is the ultimate authority. For certain thearcheological record, as well as many other facts such as eyewitness accountsof the gospels, the history of the early church, and a score of bible scholarshave proven time and time again the historical accuracy of the bible; and theone thing that Jehovahs Witnesses and Mainstream Christians believe in is theauthority of the Bible.

So then, I will show what the Watchtower Society teaches its members quotingdirectly from their bible tracts in blue; then I will show what Mainstream

Christian doctrine is in black. I have included the 2 articles I have used in theirentirety at the end of this document.

On a personal note from the writer of this comparison if you will: I personallybelieve that Mainstream Christian faith is the true faith in God backed byhistoric beliefs; meaning that the original disciples and early church fathersbelieved in the same core beliefs that the Mainstream holds to today. Whiledenominations may disagree on some minor non-essential truths of the faith,because there are some debatable things, the core beliefs are shared. Isincerely hope you will pray as you read these comparisons. Pray that

regardless of where the truth leads you the truth is all you are looking for. I amconfident that if you do so, you will have no choice but to run into the absolutetruth that will set you free.


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The Watchtower Society teaches its members that Mainstream Christianities belief inhell, as a place offire and brimstone is only something conjured up in the mind.(Article: What Has Happened to Hell Fire? Paragraph 1)

This statement is just not true! The Mainstream Christian Church has conjurednothing in the mind. She believes that Jesus as founder of the church taught about hell;

and his teachings and other places in the bible supports a literal hell as a place of fire,

where torment and anguish exists.

Mainstream Christianity see hell clearly defined in the bible: 16All Scripture isinspired by God (Literally: God Breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for

training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

(2 Tim 3:16-17).

You see for the Mainstream Christian dogma is based on the totality ofscripture. Which means based on the total message of scripture given on thesubject of hell or any other dogma. Mainstream Christianity does see hell as a

literal place of fire. The Bible speaks of it in Mk 9:43-48; Mt 10:28; Mt 5:22,29-30; Mt 18:7-9; Lk 12:5

Also, Based on the total message of scripture given on the subject of hell,Mainstream Christianity does see hell as a place of unending torment andanguish Called a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth Mt 8:10-13; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28. The story of the rich man and Lazarus Lk16:19-31 particularly verses 23-24. Hell is clearly described by Jesus as a literalplace of fire and a place of torment and anguish.

According to Scripture, hell will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rv 19:20; 20:10;20:14). Those who go to the lake of fire will be tormented day and night foreverand ever. Also see Rv 14:9-11.

All these scriptures and more will be covered in detail further into this study.


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The watchtower society teaches its members that only physical death of the body is thepenalty for sin:

Article: What Really is Hell? Paragraph 1:

"Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spreadto all men because they had all sinned." (Romans 5:12) The Scriptures also state: "Thewages sin pays is death." (Romans 6:23) Since the punishment for sin is death, the

fundamental question in determining the true nature of hell is: What happens to us when wedie?

Mainstream Christian faith believes that death is not only physical, but also spiritual. Becauseof Adams sin we all die, but death is spiritual. We are born spiritually dead, as the result ofthe fall of Adam. Jesus certainly held this opinion.

(Read Luke 23 for a full account) Jesus was crucified between two thieves. The one on hisleft mocked him telling him to get off of the cross. The one on the right rebukes the thief onthe left telling him they are getting what they deserve, but that Jesus has done no wrong todeserve this.

He then tells Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!". Now the thief was lookingto the resurrection here on earth. This view was not an entirely false view but just a littlemisguided. Some of the Jews of the day believed that upon death, they await the resurrectionof the future. This thief recognized Jesus as The Messiah, which means The Anointed One.He believed that he would have to wait till Jesus establishes his Kingdom on earth. Jesuscorrects his misguided dogma.

What does he tell him?

He tells him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (emphasis mine).

He told the thief that he would be with him TODAY. Not when he comes back and reigns fora thousand years but that very day. That day both thieves legs were broken and they died ontheir crosses. But that day, on the moment of death: This thief found himself to be with theLord Jesus. It is clear that Jesus did not believe that the only consequence for sin is onlyphysical death of the body, otherwise he would not have said, today you shall be with Me inParadise. Instead he would have said, today you must die and you shall be with me later inParadise, but that was not what Jesus told him.

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall

not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16

25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and

whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

John 11:25-26


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Article: What Really is Hell? Paragraph 2: Asks the following questions:

1. Does life of some kind, in some form, continue after death?2. What is hell, and what kind of people go there?3. Is there any hope for those in hell?

Here is the Mainstream Christian Response to these questions, posed by the watchtowersociety:

1. According to the Bible, Jesus believed that life does continue after death.2. According to the Bible, hell is a place reserved for the wicked, a place of torment.3. According to the Bible, there is no hope for those in hell.

The Bible does give answers for these questions regardless of rather the answers aresatisfying to you or not! You see sometimes the truth just plain hurts.

Consider not only what Jesus told the thief crucified next to him; but also consider his story ofthe rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. Read in full Luke 16:19-31

First, Jesus describes their lives:19

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.20

At his gate was laida beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogscame and licked his sores.

Second, Jesus describes their afterlives:

22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23In hell,

where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

24So he called to him,

'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am inagony in this fire.'

*Note one is carried by Angels to a place called Abrahams side Literally The Bosom ofAbraham. (More on that soon) The other is buried and wakes up in torment in a place calledhell.

So to answer the first question:

Jesus, according to the Bible, believed that life does continue after death.

Here the Greek word Hades translated hellis used to describe this place of torment. Jesusis saying that it is a place of place of fire, torment, and agony. A place where even a drop ofwater is longed for.

25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,

but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.


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In answer to the second question:

Jesus, according to the Bible, believed hell is a place where the wicked go, a place of agony,and torment.

Abraham told the rich man who had good things in his life, while Lazarus who lived rightoutside the gate of the rich mans luxurious penthouse received bad things. This rich manwas a wicked man.

In answer to the third question:

Jesus, according to the Bible, believed there is no hope for those that go there.

26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot,

nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

This also brings up an interesting point. The Bible teaches that prior to the resurrection: whena righteous person died, they went to a place called the bosom of Abraham. The wicked wentto a place called hell. These places were located in the lower regions of the earth.

Where exactly did Jesus go for the three days he was dead?

"When he ascended on high,

he led captives in his train

and gave gifts to men."9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

Eph 4:8-9

Yes, death led the souls of the departed to Hades, a place divided into two chambers: Onechamber for the righteous known as The Bosom of Abraham; the other known as hellforthe wicked.

Everyone prior to Jesus death and resurrection had to go to this two chamber place. It wascalled Hades in the Greek orsheolin the Hebrew. It was a place of waiting for the righteousand a place of torment for the wicked.

Jesus had to go to this place to declare victory over death and Hades. He did not go to thewicked side; but went to the righteous side of Abrahams bosom (he called it paradise as hetold the thief on the cross before they both died).

He preached to those who had died having believed in the promise of the coming Messiah,The Anointed One, whom according to scripture would come and proclaim liberty to thecaptives. These people were not in heaven, but in a sort of temporary paradise place of

comfort. They were there waiting for the promise of the coming Messiah. Jesus went toproclaim liberty to them, telling them that he had accomplished the task of paying the debt oftheir sin.

18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in

the body but made alive by the Spirit,19

through whom[a]

also he went and preached to the spirits in prison20

whodisobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a fewpeople, eight in all, were saved through water, 1 Pet 3:18-20

This why Jesus in the Book of Revelation says, I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold Iam alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Rev 1:18


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Prior the death and resurrection of Jesus, in order to be saved, you had to sacrifice an animalshedding its blood to cover your sin. The sacrificed animal always pointed to Gods plan toRedeem his people from their sin by the coming of Jesus the Messiah (The Anointed One);who came and died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put todeath in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

Once he ascended to heaven 40 days after his resurrection He led those righteous OldTestament believers out of this holding tank, to be with him in Heaven.

"When he ascended on high,

he led captives in his train

and gave gifts to men."9

Ephesians 4:8

Once this sort of holding tank was emptied Hell became one place and was no longerdivided with paradise on one side and fiery torment on the other side.


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Article: What Really is Hell? Paragraph 3 states:

Life After Death?

Does something inside us, like a soul or a spirit, survive the death of the body? Consider howthe first man, Adam, came to have life. The Bible states: "Jehovah God proceeded to formthe man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life." (Genesis2:7) Though breathing sustained his life, putting "the breath of life" into his nostrils involved

much more than simply blowing air into his lungs. It meant that God put into Adam's lifelessbody the spark of life"the force of life," which is active in all earthly creatures. (Genesis6:17; 7:22) The Bible refers to this animating force as "spirit." (James 2:26) That spirit can becompared to the electric current that activates a machine or an appliance and enables it toperform its function. Just as the current never takes on the features of the equipment itactivates, the life-force does not take on any of the characteristics of the creatures itanimates. It has no personality and no thinking ability.

I am not sure we can be too dogmatic (certain of absolute truth) on this topic. There are basically two ways toview man. One view: He is made up of body and soul/spirit. This is called a dichotomist view of man. The otherview is that man is made up of three parts, body, soul and spirit. This is called a trichotomist view of man. Bothviews have their arguments.

Dichotomist: The scripture does at times use the terms soul and spirit inter-changeably;

Trichotomist: Scripture also makes a distinction between all three as well. Take in Hebrews where the biblesays the following:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates

even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of theheart. Hebrews 4:12 [distinction between soul and spirit],

23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit,soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thessalonians 5:23

14

But a(A)

natural man(B)

does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are(C)

foolishness to him; andhe cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

15But he who is

(D)spiritual appraises all

things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.16

For(E)

WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THATHE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But

(F)we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3Foundations for Living1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to

(G)spiritual men, but as to

(H)men offlesh, as to

(I)infants in

Christ.2I gave you

(J)milk to drink, not solid food; for you

(K)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are

not yet able,3for you are still fleshly. For since there is

(L)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly,

and are you not walking(M)

like mere men?4For when

(N)one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere

(O)men? I Corinthians

2:14 3:4 [natural(fleshly), carnal(soulish), spiritual(spiritual)]

All these seem to distinguish between soul and spirit as separate aspects of mankinds immaterial nature.

Even so with all this theological debate, you have to see it at face value. Question: If the spirit of a person isnothing more than a life force, like a current of electricity that does not take on the characteristics of a washingmachine which it powers; and if that means that the spirit has no thinking ability, no personality: Then why didJesus say in Luke 16, that both the rich man and Lazarus found themselves in two very different places?

One was fully aware of comfort, the other fully aware of torment, and agony.

What then lived after these two individuals lived on after death? Was it their souls? Something sure did live onafter death in these two individuals, at least in the story Jesus told.


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What happens to the spirit when a person dies? Psalm 146:4 says: "His spirit goes out, hegoes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." When a person dies, hisimpersonal spirit does not go on existing in another realm as a spirit creature. It "returns tothe true God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7) This means that any hope of future life for thatperson now rests entirely with God.

The Watchtower tells its members that when the scripture says the spirit, returns to the trueGod who gave it, it means that any hope of future life for that person now rest entirely withGod. This is simply a false statement.

How about just believing what it says? What does it say? It says that upon death; the spiritreturns to God. When a righteous person dies they go to be with God. That is exactly whatthis scripture is saying, especially when you read the entire chapter. This is a commonpractice for the Watchtower: To quote single passages out of context. Most of the time oneonly needs to read the entire chapter along with the verse used by the Watchtower. Then itbecomes clear that their point of view falls apart.

This verse cannot prove that there is no life after death; but shows that the bible supports thebelief of life after death. When a believer dies, the present body deteriorates, but the spirit istaken to heaven to be with Him. The opposite is true of the believer as was the case with theRich Man.

(cf. Lk.16:22 The bodies of the Rich man and Lazarus both went in the ground) - althoughwe, as creatures who have always had and will always have both a material and immaterialpart, will even then "not be found naked" but will have an temporary body which we shallinhabit until the day of the resurrection.

2 Cor 5:3

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, aneternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with

our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.


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The ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato held that a soul inside a person survivesdeath and never dies. What does the Bible teach about the soul? Adam "came to be a livingsoul," says Genesis 2:7. He did not receive a soul; he was a soula whole person. TheScriptures speak of a soul's doing work, craving food, being kidnapped, experiencingsleeplessness, and so forth. (Leviticus 23:30; Deuteronomy 12:20; 24:7; Psalm 119:28) Yes,man himself is a soul. When a person dies, that soul dies.Ezekiel 18:4.

We have to reconcile this not only with Jesus telling a story about something living on afterdeath but also Revelation 6. Here it specifically states that the souls of persons who hadbeen slain for standing up for the truth are calling out in a loud voice, from under the altar.Where is this taking place? In the throne room of heaven:

9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain becauseof the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, "How

long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our

blood?" 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the

number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

Rev 6:9-10

Were these souls in Revelation dead? No they were alive and waiting for their full number tocome in.

For the Mainstream Christian we believe as the bible teaches:

2 Corinthians 52 Corinthians 52 Corinthians 52 Corinthians 5

Our Heavenly DwellingOur Heavenly DwellingOur Heavenly DwellingOur Heavenly Dwelling

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house inheaven, not built by human hands.

2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

3because

when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because

we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowedup by life.

5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit,

guaranteeing what is to come.

6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

7We live by faith, not by sight.

8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with

the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we mustall appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while inthe body, whether good or bad.

We believe that this body we live in is like a tent. We live in this tent while we await ourheavenly dwelling. This scripture clearly states that upon being away from our body, we arewith the Lord. Jesus said, God is Spirit We are made in Gods image. There is more toman than just flesh and bones.


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What, then, is the condition of the dead? When pronouncing sentence upon Adam, Jehovahstated: "Dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19) Where was Adam beforeGod formed him from the dust of the ground and gave him life? Why, he simply did not exist!When he died, Adam returned to that state of complete absence of life. The condition of thedead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10, where we read: "The dead know nothing . . . Inthe grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor

wisdom." (New International Version) Scripturally, death is a state of nonexistence. The deadhave no awareness, no feelings, no thoughts.

So what is really being said here in Genesis 3:19? To understand this we have to go back tothe original warning God gave Adam and Eve the day he placed them in the Garden.

16The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;

17but from the tree

of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from ityou will surely die." (Gen2:16,17) NASB

He was warned that in the day he ate it he would die. Yet we read he did not instantly die for we

read, So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died (Gen 5:5) NASB

He returned to dust eventually as is all our fate, because of his disobedience.

So how is it then that Adam was supposed to die on the day he ate from this forbidden tree, and yet helives for 930 years? Scripture cannot be wrong. Adam must have died spiritually on the day he ate of

the tree. He physically died as well; it just took 930 years. Physical death takes awhile for all of us, but

spiritual death is already present at birth. You see ever since Adam, the first man sinned and diedspiritually, mankind is born spiritually dead, because we are sinners at birth.

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because

all sinned (Romans 5:11)

They need to be spiritually reborn in order to be saved from death. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, no one

can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. John 3:3

As far as Ecclesiastes goes, we need to understand where Solomon is coming from.

Here is the concluding history on Solomons life as recorded in 1 Kings 11:1

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughterMoabites, Ammonites,

Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.2

They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must

not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast

to them in love.3

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him

astray.4

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the

LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.5

He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, andMolech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

6So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the

LORD completely, as David his father had done.7

On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech

the detestable god of the Ammonites.8

He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered

sacrifices to their gods.

Solomon was looking at the full measure of life from a physical point of view in the entirebook of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is a look into the mind of a man; who was full of wisdomand yet his heart is divided by the desires of this world. Solomon even in all his wisdom,disobeyed God and allowed his heart to be drawn away by his pagan wives. He starts out the


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whole book saying, "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything ismeaningless."

3What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

This is not a true statement!

He must be speaking figuratively from a different point of view. Therefore, we cannot take allhe says about life and death as well as absolute truth. When interpreting the scripture onemust always consider the source. His entire life is a look at a fallen man who yet was filled

with Godly wisdom. Solomon asked for wisdom from the God, and God gave it to him. Yet hislife serves as an example that even the wisest can still fall from grace. Solomon had forsakenhis God and was living life under the sun. Here in Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 he is making a pointthat the same fate awaits both the wicked and the righteous. That fate is physical death.

Anyone can make the Bible say anything they want, simply by choosing only the verses thatappear to support their doctrine and rejecting the rest?We cannot only read the verses we can easily understand, and skip the rest.

You don't read a newspaper that way. You don't read letters from your friends that way. Youcan only understand a single sentence anyone writes by reading the whole document.

Solomon looking back on his life now sees that it all looked "meaningless!" (Ecc 1:2) FromSolomon's worldly point of view, people are no better off than animals (Ecc 3:19-20) By theend of the book, Solomon counsels young people not to make the same mistake that he did(Ecclesiastes 12).

So King Solomon was wise and good when he was young (1 Kings 3). That was probablywhen he wrote Proverbs and Song of Solomon. But the Bible explains that King Solomongrew spiritually lazy and careless. He built temples to idols for his many foreign wives, andwent to those temples to worship idols. (1 Kings 11:1-8) In Solomon's old age, seeing thathe had wasted his life, foolishly failing to follow his own advice in Proverbs, he looked back

on his life through his worldly eyes, and realized how foolish he had been (Ecclesiastes2:10-11). Now it all looked "meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) From Solomon's worldly pointof view, people are no better off than animals (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 -- another text that JWsuse to argue "there is no hell"). By the end of the book, Solomon counsels young people notto make the same mistake that he did (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6-7).

Here is Solomons conclusion of the entire matter:Fear God and keep his commandments, (Ecclesiastes 12:13)


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If this verse in Ecclesiastes means as they interpret: death is a state of nonexistence. Thedead have no awareness, no feelings, no thoughts.; then why would Jesus contradict them.

Jesus even said in Luke and in Matthew:

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power tothrow you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.Luke 12:5

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who candestroy both soul and body in hell.Mt 10:28

If death is the end, than how is it Jesus says there is more that can happen to you after yourbody is dead?

Jesus view most certainly does not agree with the opinion of death being a state ofnonexistence. You cannot make a teaching based on one scripture. That is a rule oneshould follow in creating doctrine. Again to say that this verse means, as they say, still needsto be reconciled with what the entire bible teaches: Luke 16; Revelation 6:10; 2 Corinthians

5:1-10; Luke 23 etc.


Unending Torment or Common Grave?

Since the dead have no conscious existence, hell cannot be a fiery place of torment wherethe wicked suffer after death. What, then, is hell? Examining what happened to Jesus afterhe died helps to answer that question. The Bible writer Luke recounts: "Neither was [Jesus]forsaken in Hades [hell, King James Version] nor did his flesh see corruption."* (Acts 2:31)Where was the hell to which even Jesus went? The apostle Paul wrote: "I handed on to you .. . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, yes, thathe has been raised up the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) SoJesus was in hell, the grave, but he was not abandoned there, for he was raised up, orresurrected.

Again, Scripture is clear what happened to Jesus after he died. He was not forsaken in hell,because he knew no sin. He went to the chamber of the righteous dead in Hades. His fleshnever decayed in the grave. Peter here is quoting King David of the Old Testament: Read thescripture the Watchtower uses to prove that hell is the common grave in full context:

29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead andburied, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of

his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his

flesh did see corruption. Acts 2:29-31

Also if Jesus really believed that upon death he would only be going to the common grave;then why tell a story about two individuals who went to Hades, the abode of the dead, andboth being fully conscious? Lazarus said he was in agony in the fire; and Abrahamacknowledged that he was in agony in the fire. This does not support their view stated in theWatchtower article: That The dead have no conscious existence.


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Consider also the case of the righteous man Job, who suffered much. Wishing to escape hisplight, he pleaded: "Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell [Sheol], andhide me till thy wrath pass?"# (Job 14:13, Douay Version) How unreasonable to think that Jobdesired to go to a fiery-hot place for protection! To Job, "hell" was simply the grave, wherehis suffering would end. The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good

people as well as bad ones go.

Consider the following: If Job knew that hell was divided into two chambers one for therighteous the other for wicked; it makes sense to seek protection in sheol. This is especiallytrue since hell at this time was separated into two chambers, one for comfort, and the otherfor torment. Job was written pre resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The common sheol(abode of the dead) is where the good and the evil went, only to different compartments.

Much, if not all of, the arguments the Watchtower teaches its members to use are all basedon one principle: Where the plain reading of the text makes sense, they will try to make theirown sense out of it to fit their dogma. We have a group, of what I believe are sincere people,

who have been taught, some their whole life, that hell was invented. So where Jesus teachesabout the rich man and Lazarus, the Watchtower teaches its members that this story is only aparable. So what seems to teach hell is a place of fire and torment have to be onlysymbolism; otherwise their whole dogma (hell is only the common grave), falls apart.

This is a summary, so far, of what I have documented right from the Watchtower website:

The Watchtower teaches its members that there is no life after death; that hell is not a placeof torment; and the dead have no consciousness in hell, which is nothing more than thecommon grave.

Here is the dilemma:

If what the Watchtower Society teaches its members is truth; than Jesus would have to agreewith the beliefs the Watchtower teaches its members. Yet Jesus clearly contradicts thesebeliefs on numerous occasions.

One example is when on the cross, speaking to the thief. Jesus tells the thief that on this veryday that they were about to die, this thief would be with him in paradise. Note he didnt sayhe would be with him in the common grave.

Another example is when speaking about the rich man and Lazarus. He clearly taught in this

story that both Lazarus and the rich man were fully conscious. He clearly taught one was incomfort and the other was in agony. Both parties were aware of the others state of existence.

So we see that Jesus believed opposite so far: There is life after death; hell is a place oftorment; the dead are fully conscious when they die and go to hell, which is not the commongrave. Let us continue on.


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HellfireAll-Consuming?

Could it be that the fire of hell is symbolic of all-consuming, or thorough, destruction?Separating fire from Hades, or hell, the Scriptures say: "Death and Hades were hurled intothe lake of fire." "The lake" mentioned here is symbolic, since death and hell (Hades) that arethrown into it cannot literally be burned. "This [lake of fire] means the second death"deathfrom which there is no hope of coming back to life.Revelation 20:14.

Interestingly: The Watchtower here does not deny that fire is mentioned. They just say it issymbolic. Lets look at all the verses where fire and hell is mentioned.

43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands togo into hell, where the fire never goes out.[c]45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better foryou to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.[d]47And if your eye causes you tosin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and bethrown into hell, 48where " 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.Mk 9:43-48

Hell here is the Greek word gehenna (geennageennageennageenna) This was originally the valley ofHinnom, south

of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbolof the wicked and their future destruction.

22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone whosays to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be indanger of the fire of hell.Mt 5:22 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And ifyour right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of yourbody than for your whole body to go into hell.Mt 5:29-30

Hell here is the Greek word gehenna (geennageennageennageenna)

7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to theman through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Itis better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown intoeternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you toenter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.Mt 18:7-9.

Hell here is the Greek word gehenna (geennageennageennageenna)


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The Sheep and the Goats

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in

heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one fromanother as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and thegoats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take yourinheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gaveme something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited

me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and youcame to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and giveyou something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clotheyou? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fireprepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty andyou gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did

not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes orsick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not dofor me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternalpunishment, but the righteous to eternal life."Matthew 25:31-46

Eternalhere is the Greek word aionios (aiwniovaiwniovaiwniovaiwniov) which means without end, never to cease,everlasting.

Note to yourself that both the fire and the punishment are eternal. This eternal fire was neverintended for man (vs 41), from the beginning of creation. But because of sin man will facethis judgment if he is not from Gods flock. This is what Jesus teaches here his foretelling ofthe future.

When will this all take place?

In the Book of Revelation we learn of a time known as the Great tribulation of earth. This willbe a time when there will be a one world government, with a one world money system, and auniversal religion for the entire world. Those that do not submit to these institutions will lose

their lives. I recommend you read the entire book of Revelation to understand this all.

In any case we finally come the dramatic point known as the Battle of Armageddon. This willtake place in the Middle east in the field of Armageddon (AR-maGEDdon), the mount ofMegiddo, according to the New Testament book of Revelation, is once again to host one ofthe world's major armies in an immense conflict between East and West (Revelation 16:16).The idea of Megiddo being the venue of humanity's apocalyptic finale, the "final" battle in thiswar called the "Battle of Armageddon", misnamed. The actual battle is to occur at Jerusalemand called "the war of the great day of God, the Almighty" (Revelation 16:14 NASB) or the"Battle of That Great Day of God Almighty" (KJV).


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Armies will be gathered at Megiddo by the beast (The Anti-Christ) to destroy each other; andat this point Jesus returns with his armies, the saints, to reclaim the earth, and establish hisKingdom on earth to reign for 1000 years. It is possible that if Jesus does not come at thispoint a world war will take place which would wipe out all life on earth. It seems probable butin any case According to the Book of Revelation Jesus does come back at this point toestablish his Kingdom.

I have included End Times Chronology at the end of this document for further study. Its a

pretty good one. However on some details I think you cannot be too dogmatic. If you juststick to a literal interpretation of the Book; you can do just fine, but a good commentary andother useful study tools like this chronology would not be a bad idea in trying understandingend-times prophecy.

Back to the subject at hand: Below is a warning not to follow this one world religionestablishment and worship of the image of the beast. It says you will be tormented withburning sulfur; you will have no rest day or night if you take his mark and worship his image.

9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and

receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which hasbeen poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the

presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.11And the smoke of their torment rises for ever andever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyonewho receives the mark of his name." 12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints whoobey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.Revelation 14:9-11

Here it says that, the smoke of their torment rises For How long? for ever and ever

19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war againstthe rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who hadperformed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received themark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake ofburning sulfur.Revelation 19:20

Here we have that fiery lake of sulfur (Gehenna). This will be the final place for the anti-Christand the false prophet.

After in which Jesus will establish his reign for 1,000 years.

7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive thenations in the four corners of the earthGog and Magogto gather them for battle. In number they are likethe sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God'speople, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, whodeceived them, was thrown into the lake ofburning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet hadbeen thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.Revelation 20:7-10

Because some people will be born during this 1,000 year reign with Jesus, their loyalty to theKing Of Kings will need to be tested. So Satan is released one last time to deceive who hecan. But they wont even stand a chance. Then Satan is thrown into the lake of sulfur. Therehe and the beast (Anti-Christ) and false prophet will be tormented day and night for everand ever. *Note it does not say they are annihilated, or destroyed.


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13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them,

and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown

into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not found written inthe book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.Revelation 20:13-15

The Greek word Hades (a) means the following.

1. name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions2. Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead

3. later use of this word: the grave, death, hell

After all this we move to what is called the Great White Throne Judgment. Here Hades andthe Sea give up the dead. This Hades by the way is the same Hades that Jesus talked aboutin his story about the rich man and Lazarus. Here is a Literal translation of it:

"In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke 16:23

Only these dead that are resurrected stand before Gods Throne and are Judged; andsentenced to gehenna, the lake of fire. This Lake of Fire is where Satan, The Beast, and TheFalse Prophet are already at. Remember it says of those that go to this lake: They will betormented day and night for ever and ever. If it is symbolic, then what does beingtormented day and night for ever and ever symbolize?

So we see that the Hades Jesus spoke of was a place of torment and the final destination, alake of fire is also a place of torment. So the bottom line is that the wicked will end up goingto a place where they will be tormented for ever and ever.


The lake of fire has a meaning similar to that of "the fiery Gehenna [hell fire, King JamesVersion]" that Jesus spoke of. (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:47, 48) Gehenna occurs 12 times in theChristian Greek Scriptures, and it refers to the valley of Hinnom, outside the walls ofJerusalem. When Jesus was on earth, this valley was used as a garbage dump, "where thedead bodies of criminals, and the carcasses of animals, and every other kind of filth wascast." (Smith's Dictionary of the Bible) The fires were kept burning by adding sulfur to burn upthe refuse. Jesus used that valley as a proper symbol of everlasting destruction.

Again if this fiery lake is a symbol of everlasting destruction; then what does tormented dayand night for ever and ever symbolize? Again where ever the literal reading of the text

makes hell out to be an eternal place of fiery; the Watchtower says this fire is symbolism. Itdoes not try to every explain what the torment then symbolizes.


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As does Gehenna, the lake of fire symbolizes eternal destruction. Death and Hades are"hurled into" it in that they will be done away with when mankind is freed from sin and thecondemnation of death. Willful, unrepentant sinners will also have their "portion" in that lake.(Revelation 21:8) They too will be annihilated forever. On the other hand, those in God'smemory who are in hellthe common grave of mankindhave a marvelous future.

The argument I guess is rather or not being sentenced to this lake means eternal torment,which is what the bible says, or if it symbolizes destruction. Just like punching up delete onyour computer, it will be as if these wicked souls never existed. The plain reading of the textdoes not support this idea; and as a rule of interpretation: If the plain reading of the textmakes sense do not try to make sense out of it.

If it is true that the wicked will be destroyed/deleted, then the Watchtower needs to explainwhat tormented day and night for ever and ever symbolizes.


Hell Emptied!Revelation 20:13 states: "The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave upthose dead in them." Yes, the Bible hell will be emptied. As Jesus promised, "the hour iscoming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [Jesus'] voice and come out." (John5:28, 29) Although no longer presently existing in any form, millions of dead ones who are inJehovah God's memory will be resurrected, or brought back to life, in a restored earthlyparadise.Luke 23:43; Acts 24:15.

Does it make sense that the Watchtower would uses Luke 23:43 to prove that the dead inhell (the common grave) await a restored earthly paradise? This is the story about the thiefon the cross. Jesus didnt tell him that he would have to wait in the grave awhile to be withhim; but said, Today you will be with me in Paradise. This paradise Jesus spoke of was theparadise section of Hades (Luke 16:19-31) located in the lower earthly regions (Eph 4:8-9).This verse proves that hell is not just the common grave; and as I have discussed above hellor more properly Hades was emptied of all the Righteous dead upon Jesus ascension.


In the new world of God's making, resurrected humans who comply with his righteous lawswill never need to die again. (Isaiah 25:8) Jehovah "will wipe out every tear from their eyes,and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore." In fact,

"the former things [will] have passed away." (Revelation 21:4) What a blessing is in store forthose in hell"the memorial tombs"! This blessing indeed is reason enough for us to take inmore knowledge of Jehovah God and his Son, Jesus Christ.John 17:3.

Mainstream Christianity agrees that those who will live and reign during the 1,000 year reignwill enjoy many benefits. Imagine: No more sickness; no more hunger; no more suffering; nomore economic problems; no more wars; nor more famines; and many blessings! It will be awonderful day indeed.


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Here is the problem with the Watchtower View: According to Revelation 20:13-15 hell will beemptied of its dead souls. They will be judged and then death, and hell, and these wickeddead souls will join Satan, the beast, and the false prophet in the Lake of fire. If what thebible says is true, then how is there a blessing in store for those in hell?

So we see we have two different hells. One in which the souls/spirits of the wicked suffer, theother the common grave of all, where there is no conscious state. It stands to reason as theWatchtower has said in many of their articles, Let us Reason Together, as they quote the

very words ofJehovah, that hell cannot be the common grave based on the bible. One mustspiritualize the words of the bible, calling everything that shows hell to be fire and tormentsymbolism.

I say then, Let us Reason Together. There is no scripture which says, or even alludes to theidea that fiery hell is symbolic of destruction/deletion of existence. How can we assume thatsomething as important as this topic would be left open for interpretation? I would expect tohear Jesus say, Those who go to the lake of fire, will be destroyed forever. On the contrary,we read otherwise, they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

So again, not to sound like a broken record, but if the lake of fire symbolizes destruction,

then:

What does this smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever in the lake of fire symbolize?

Moreover what does the agony and the fire the rich man of Luke 13 experiencedsymbolize?

It is interesting to me that when something in the scripture when taken literally disproves thedogma of the Watchtower Society; they tell their members that the particular scripture issymbolic, but then when reading something poetic like Ecclesiastes, they take something thatneeds to be read as a poem and taken figuratively not literally, and read it literally just to

prove their dogma.

I think this patern stems from preconceptions that God does not allow torture. It is appealingto people because it puts God in a box they are comfortable with. While it is true that God islove, God is also a God of Judgment, and wrath. He hates sin and its effect. In his fairnesshe has to punish evil. See Rv 14:9-11

When we put God in a box to fit our view of him we create an idol. We do no different thanthe children of Israel did in the desert with the Golden Calf. Idolatry is making your own God.

So if we reason together, we should come to the conclusion that if God will reward the

righteous, with eternal life, then He will judge the wicked with eternal condemnation. Beingdestroyed to non-existence is not the same as eternal condemnation.

The scriptures even testify: the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold theunrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.2Peter 2:9 (Emphasis mine)

It is a comforting thought the fire would annihilate or destroy the wicked, but God is capableof altering the properties of fire. Consider the burning bush of Moses day that was notconsumed, and also the "fiery furnace" of Daniels day.

Be careful when making the assumption that only annihilation awaits the wicked dead.


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The Apostle Paul would be astonished with this generation:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and

are turning to a different gospel 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are

throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an

angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be

eternally condemned!9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to

you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still

trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.Galatians 1:6-10

A different gospel?

What this is saying is that those who follow the wrong Gospel will be eternally condemned.We should be sure we are in the right gospel. Paul was warning them just as he warnedmany that false teachers would come.

The apostle Peter warns the church:

1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them

bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way

of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

2 Peter 2:1-3

If the Watchtower, the institution which began in 1879, and its teachings is the true gospelthan Mainstream Christianity for over 2,000 years has been preaching a false gospel (oneother than the one (The Apostles) preached). According to Galatians 1:6-10; and 2 Peter2:1-3 above all who preach the false gospel are not in the truth.

One has to ask themselves: Is it logical that God would wait until the year 1879 to reveal to

his truth?

From a historical point of view Mainstream Christianity is closer to the original. Could thismean that any other belief system that emerges is a Hybrid and not an original version?

To accept the dogma that hell as a place of torment is false; means you believe thatsomehow the Historic Christianity had the wrong idea of hell, and God waited until the year1879 in which the Watchtower emerged, and brought to light the real truth.

So what does Church History really say?

According to the Watchtower:

Article: What Has Happened to Hell Fire? Paragraph 10 states:

Among the early Church Fathers, however, there was disagreement over hell. Justin Martyr, Clementof Alexandria, Tertullian, and Cyprian believed that hell was a fiery place. Origen and theologian

Gregory of Nyssa thought of hell as a place of separation from Godof spiritual suffering. Augustine

of Hippo, on the other hand, held that suffering in hell was both spiritual and sensorya view thatgained acceptance. "By the fifth century the stern doctrine that sinners will have no second chance

after this life and that the fire which will devour them will never be extinguished was everywhere

paramount," wrote Professor J.N.D. Kelly.


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First: What is meant by Church Fathers?

From Wikipedia:

The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, orFathers of the Church are the early and influential

theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries ofChristian history. The term is used of writers and teachers of the Church, not necessarily saints.

Teachers particularly are also known as doctors of the Church.

This is true that there was disagreement over hell among early church fathers. But letsexamine this fact: according to the statement above 5 early church fathers believed hell as afiery place and 2 church fathers believed it only as a place of separation from God. Therewere actually many more church fathers. Even so in this list 5 agreed hell as a fiery placeand only 2 believed otherwise. Yet there was also Athenagoras, Shepherd of Hermas,Theophilus, Irenaeus, Tatian, The Author of what is known as the Epistle of Barnabas,Mathetes in his Epistle to Diognetus, The Author of what is known as The Martyrdom ofPolycarp, andMark Minucius Felix. All of these and or the authors that wrote the Epistleswere early church fathers who believed in a literal fiery hell. That takes the toll to 15 earlychurch Fathers agreeing that hell is a fiery torment; verses 2 early Church Fathers who

disagreed.

These early writings of The Epistle of Barnabas, who lived from around 70-130 AD. His lifespan is close to the time of the Apostles. Here is what He wrote about it:

"The way of darkness is crooked, and it is full of cursing. It is the way ofeternal death withpunishment."

Interesting it says, eternal death with punishment.

Next is Mathetes who lived from around 125-200 AD. He wrote:

"You should fear what is truly death, which is reserved for those who will be condemned to the eternal fire.It will afflict those who are committed to it even to the end." (Letter to Diognetus, c. 125-200)

Again two Early Church Fathers who lived closest to the time of the Apostles believed in Hell.Intriguingly Barnabas is the traveling companion of the apostle Paul mentioned in the book ofActs. Since it is true that Clement of Alexandria and many other Church Fathers ascribe it tobe written by Barnabas; then we may proof that the early Apostolic church believed in hellbeing a place of eternal death with punishment.

Summary:

The Watchtower teaches its members that hell (Hades/Sheol) is only the common grave. MainstreamChristianity teaches that hell is eternal fire punishment, where torment exists and will exist foreverand ever eventually continuing on into eternity in the lake of fire (gehenna). Jesus spoke about hell(Hades) as a place of torment with fire in Luke 16 in reference to the rich man and Lazurus, and hespoke of (gehenna) in , as a place of fiery torment as well in Mt 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mk9:43,45,47; Lk 12:5 also see Rev 19:20 with Rev 20:10; 21:8. No meaning to what tormented dayand night forever and ever symbolizes is given in scripture. How do we know what it symbolizes?Unless of course it literally means what it says.

History proves, at least early on, that most early church fathers agreed with a literal interpretation ofthe scriptures in reference to hell.


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RESOURCESChristian Beliefs on Hell

"Some will not be redeemed. There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianitythan this if it lay in my power."

-- C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!"

--Inscription over the gates of hell, according to Dante

"It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God for one moment; but you mustsuffer it for all eternity."

--Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God(1741)

According to a 2004 Gallup Poll, 70% of Americans believe in hell. Belief in hell is highest among regularchurchgoers: 92% of those who attend church weekly believe in hell, as do 74% of those who attend nearlyweekly.

In Christian theology, hell is the place or state into which unrepentant sinners pass after this life. Hell isgenerally thought to be eternal, and to include both punishment (poena sensus) and separation from God(poena damni).

Although not central to the Christian faith, the doctrine of hell has been a significant part of historicalChristian theology throughout its history.

Hell was a strong incentive to lead a righteous life in the early church. It was the setting for Dante's literarymasterpiece The Inferno. It was fear of hell and judgment that terrified Martin Luther before his spiritualenlightenment. The doctrine of hell was central to the Jonathan Edwards' famous sermon "Sinners in theHands of An Angry God" and many others like it.

For some, however, especially since the Enlightenment, hell has also been a major stumbling block toacceptance of Christianity. Some Christian groups no longer believe in an eternal hell, or at least regardbelief in it as unnecessary.

This article will explore the doctrine of hell as it developed first in the sacred texts of Christianity and then inthe hands of Christian theologians over the centuries. It concludes with a summary of modern Christianbeliefs about hell, by way of quotes and excerpts from Christian groups.

The Word "Hell"

The word "hell" in English Bibles is used to translate the Hebrew word Sheol(and its Greek equivalentHades) and the Greek word Gehenna. {1} The English word derives from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "toconceal" or "to cover," which is similar to the meanings of Sheol and Hades. {2}

In the Old Testament, Sheol (which is also sometimes translated "grave" or "pit") denotes the underworldor the place of departed spirits. "The notion reflects an undeveloped and shadowy belief in the future lifewhich was gradually superseded by the more defined beliefs of later Judaism." {3}


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Gehenna ("the Valley of Hinnom") is the Greek translation of a Hebrew word that seems to refer to anactual place on earth. The identity of Hinnom is not known for certain, but scholars have suggested an areasouthwest of Jerusalem near the Cedron. Gehenna is mentioned in Jos. 15:8 and 18:16, and in 2 Kings, it isdescribed as a place of human sacrifice (16:3, 21:6) that was polluted (23:10-12). Jeremiah warned thatone day would be renamed "Valley of Slaughter" (Jer. 7:32, 19:6). In later Jewish thought, Gehenna was aplace of punishment for apostates and other great sinners (e.g., 1 Enoch 27:2, 90:26; 2 Esdras 7:36-38). Astatement dating to 1200 AD that fires were continually kept burning in the Valley of Hinnom is generallyregarded as reliable, although no earlier reference has yet been found. {4}

Hell in the Old Testament

The idea of hell (as understood in Christianity) is virtually absent from the Old Testament, which has verylittle to say about the afterlife at all. A possible mention hell in the Old Testament is this prophecy about theend times:

"Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame andeverlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:2, NIV)

Another notable passage that likely contributes to Christian imagery of hell is Isaiah 66:24, which also refersto the end times:

"And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not

die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.

Other passages that speak of the afterlife seem to indicate extinction of the soul after death (see, e.g.,Ecclesiastes 9:10). Rabbis have generally the taught the existence of a hell-like place for the unrighteous,

but many Jews, both historical and modern, do not believe in hell or an afterlife. (See Jewish Beliefs:Afterlife.)

Hell in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the notion of hell is more clearly expressed, but still not in a systematic way. Inmany cases, "death" and "destruction" are the only mentioned penalties for rejecting God (e.g., Matthew7:13, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Romans 6:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, James 1:15). Also, as noted in the section

above, the same terminology is often used in the New Testament that in the Jewish context may havesuggested nothing more than physical death and destruction of the soul.

New Testament passages that have suggested eternal torment to Christians include the following:

"Anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:22, quoting Jesus)

"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part ofyour body than for your whole body to go into hell." (Matthew 5:29, quoting Jesus; see parallel passage inMark 9:44, which adds, "where the fire never goes out.")

"Do not be afriad of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who candestroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, quoting Jesus)

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man willsend out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew13:40-42, quoting Jesus)

"Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing ofteeth." (Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:30)

"Then he [the King] will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fireprepared for the devil and his angels." (Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Matthew 25:41)

"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets thewhole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:6)


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"The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, andeach person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake offire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he wasthrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:13-15)

"The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile...the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of

burning sulpher. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

The Doctrine of Hell in the Church Fathers

In the church fathers (post-New-Testament Christian leaders and theologians), the doctrine of hell quicklybecomes more well-defined as a place of eternal torment, which is generally seen as physical in nature: {5}

"The way of darkness is crooked, and it is full of cursing. It is the way of eternal death with punishment."(Pseudo-Barnabas, c. 70-130 AD)

"You should fear what is truly death, which is reserved for those who will be condemned to the eternal fire.It will afflict those who are committed to it even to the end." (Letter to Diognetus, c. 125-200)

"[The martyrs] despised all the torments of this world, redeeming themselves from eternal punishment bythe suffering of a single hour.... For they kept before their view escape from that fire which is eternal andwill never be quenched." (Martyrdom of Polycarp, c. 135)

"Sinners will be consumed because they sinned and did not repent." (Shepherd of Hermas, c. 150)

"Those who have not known God and do evil are condemned to death. However, those who have known Godand have seen his mighty works, but still continue in evil, will be chastised doubly, and will die forever."(Shepherd of Hermas, c. 150)

"We believe...that every man will suffer punishment in eternal fire according to the merits of his deed. ...Sensation remains to all who have ever lived, and eternal punishment is laid up." (Justin Martyr, c. 160)

"Hell [Gehenna] is a place where those who have lived wickedly are to be punished." (Justin Martyr, c. 160)

"Some are sent to be punished unceasingly into judgment and condemnation of fire." (Justin Martyr, c. 160)

"We who are now easily susceptible to death, will afterwards receive immortality with either enjoyment orwith pain." (Tatian, c. 160)

"We are persuaded that when we are removed from the present life we will live another life, better than thepresent one...or, if they fall with the rest, they will endure a worse life, one in fire. For God has not made usas sheep or beasts of burden, who are mere by-products. For animals perish and are annihilated. On thesegrounds, it is not likely that we would wish to do evil." (Athenagoras, c. 175)

"To the unbelieving and despisers...there will be anger and wrath, tribulation and anguish. At the end,everlasting fire will possess such men." (Theophilus, c. 180)

"Eternal fire is prepared for sinners. The Lord has plainly declared this and the rest of the Scripturesdemonstrate it." (Irenaeus, c. 180)

"All souls are immortal, even those of the wicked. Yet, it would be better for them if they were notdeathless. For they are punished with the endless vengeance of quenchless fire. Since they do not die, it isimpossible for them to have an end put to their misery." (Clement of Alexandria, c. 195; from a post-Nicenemanuscript fragment)

"We [Christians] alone make a real effort to attain a blameless life. We do this under the influence of... themagnitude of the threatened torment. For it is not merely long-enduring; rather, it is everlasting."(Tertullian, c. 197)

"Gehenna... is a reservoir of secret fire under the earth for purposes of punishment." (Tertullian, c. 197)

"There is neither limit nor termination of these torments. There, the intelligent fire burns the limbs and


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restores them. It feeds on them and nourishes them. ... However, no one except a profane man hesitates tobelieve that those who do not know God are deservedly tormented." (Mark Minucius Felix, c. 200)

However, some early church fathers, such as Origen of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa, questioned theeternality of hell and the literal interpretation of it as a fiery place. {6}

Modern Christian Views of Hell

Modern Christian views of hell tend to emphasize its spiritual aspects over the notion of physical suffering or

material fire. Hell is seen as a logical extension of the free will of mankind to reject God's graciousadvances, even for eternity, and its punishment as a realization of one's mistake and the great remorse thatwould follow. Many modern Christians also question hell's eternality in favor of some form of universalism(all are saved in the end) or annihilationism (wicked souls are destroyed).

Following is a sampling of the positions of various Christian denominations on the issue of hell.

It is impossible to describe the glory and splendor of heaven and the terror and torment of hell. Whethertaken literally or figuratively, the meaning is the same: Hell is a place where one will experience totalseparation from God; heaven enjoys the total presence of God. Knowing that this is the horrible endawaiting the wicked, the Assemblies of God is strongly motivated to win the lost before it is too late.(Assemblies of God)

To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated fromhim for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God andthe blessed is called "hell." (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

The statement of Christ in Matthew 25, and elsewhere, are taken at face value. It is believed that afterdeath each man must come before God in judgment and that he will be judged according to the deeds donewhile he lived (Hebrews 9:27). After judgment is pronounced he will spend eternity either in heaven or hell.(Churches of Christ)

We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow,Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell. (Church of the Nazarene)

This hope for the final salvation of humanity and the eternal universal restitution of all things in heaven andon earth ... is drawn from the unlimited promise of the Gospel and the magnitude of God's grace made

known to the world through Christ. (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with theLord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment. (Evangelical Free Church ofAmerica)

The moral progress of the soul, either for better or for worse, ends at the very moment of the separation ofthe body and soul; at that very moment the definite destiny of the soul in the everlasting life is decided. ...The Orthodox Church believes that at this moment the soul of the dead person begins to enjoy ... the life inParadise or to undergo the life in Hell. There is no way of repentance, no way of escape, no reincarnationand no help from the outside world. (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America)

Arguments For An Eternal Hell

Among the common arguments advanced for the existence of an eternal hell are these:

1. Words and pictures in the New Testament imply finality.2. The doctrine of hell has been believed for a long time by eminent theologians.3. Offers of pardon are restricted to the present world.4. The judgment occurs at the close of the redemptive era, and hence is final.5. Character tends to final permanance.6. The conscience expects and demands retribution in another life. {7}

Arguments Against An Eternal Hell


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Commonly presented arguments against the existence of an eternal hell include:

1. Words and pictures in the New Testament imply death and destruction (i.e., annihilation).2. "Eternal punishment" can refer to results that are eternal, not an eternal process.3. Vindictive justice is not compatible with the God of love and compassion revealed in the New

Testament.4. The punishment does not fit the crime (i.e. non-eternal sin and disbelief). {8}5. Hell contradicts the Christian assertion of the final victory of God over evil. {9}

References1. "Hell." F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. (Oxford UP, 1997), p. 748-49.

2. "hell." Encyclopdia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopdia Britannica Premium Service. 17 Jan. 2005

.

3. "Sheol." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed., p. 1494.

4. "Gehenna." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed., p. 657.

5. "Eternal Punishments and Rewards." David W. Bercot, ed.,A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (Hendrickson, 1998), pp. 241-43.

6. Joseph Hontheim, "Hell." The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIV(Robert Appleton, 1910).

7. "Future Punishment." The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. IV, p. 415.

.

8. Ibid. and Timothy R. Phillips, "Hell." Walter A. Elwell, ed., Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology(Baker Books, 1996).

9. Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction, 2nd ed. (Blackwell, 1997), pp. 553-54.


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END TIMES Chronology

John instructed to write down:Things which you have seen: 1:1-20 Jesus in GloryThings which are: 2:1-3:22 The seven ChurchesThings which shall take place after these things4:1-22:21 Endtimes Chronology

THINGS YOU HAVE SEENThe Revealing of Jesus our God and Coming King Rv 1

THINGS WHICH AREThe 7 Church Ages: 32 A.D. To Present Rv 2-333 - 170 A.D. Ephesus170 - 312 A.D. Symrna312 - 606 A.D. Pergamos606 - 1520 A.D. Thyatira1520 - 1750 A.D. Sardis1750 - 1906 A.D. Philadelphia1906 - Present A.D. Laodicea

ISRAEL RESTABLISHEDState of Israel established in 1948

Jerusalem returns to Jewish control in 1967. Luke 21:24

SIGNS OF THE END Prophetic warning signsAccording to Christ the following are the beginning of birth pangs. Theworse is yet to come.Godlessness in the last days - 2 Timothy 3:1-5,7False Messiahs. Prelude to the First Seal - Matthew 24:5,11Wars and Rumors of Wars. Prelude to the Second Seal - Matthew 24:6Famines. Prelude to the Third Seal - Matthew 24:7Pestilences - Matthew 24:7Earthquakes - Matthew 24:7

RAPTURE The instantaneous removal of God's people from the earth.Matthew 24:31,40-41, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, John 14:1-3, 2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-7, 2 Thessalonians 2:5,9-10,Luke 21:34-36, Isaiah 26:19-21, Rv 4:1-2

THINGS WHICH SHALL TAKE PLACE AFTER THESE THINGS(MAINLY THE CHURCH ) Rv 4-22

SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD OF DANIEL BEGINSSeven-year covenant or peace treaty with Israel is confirmed by theAntichrist. Daniel 9:27Antichrist is revealed. 1st Seal - White Horseman 2 Thessalonians2:3,6-7, Daniel 11:36 Rv 6:1-2Rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem -Daniel 9:27False Prophet is revealed. Rv 13:11, Matthew 24:11Miracles of the False Prophet cause deception amongst the peopleof the world. Rv 11:13-14, Matthew 24:24War- 2nd Seal - Rv 6:3-4, Matthew 24:6Mark of the Beast is required on all people to buy or sell. Thissignifies worship of the Beast. Rv 11:16-18Famine - 3rd Seal - Rv 6:5-6, Matthew 24:7

Resurrection of the Beast/Antichrist after a fatal wound. Rv 11:12Two witnesses of God prophesy against the Antichrist causingdrought and plagues to come upon the earth. Rv 11:3-6

TRIBULATION MIDPOINT (3 1/2 years after the peace treaty withIsrael)Breaking of the covenant with Israel by the Antichrist. Daniel 9:27Abomination of Desolation - The image of the Antichrist is placed inthe temple at Jerusalem and given breath by the False Prophet. Daniel9:27,11:31, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15

GREAT TRIBULATIONPersecutions of Christians Begins - Matthew 24:21-22, Rv 13:5-7Death - 4th Seal - One-fourth of the world's population (new Christiansand Jews) are killed by the Antichrist/Beast with the sword and withstarvation. None can buy without taking the mark of the Beast. - Rv :7-

8Martyrs of the Tribulation period cry out to the Lord. - 5th Seal Rv 6:9-11, 2 Timothy 3:12, Daniel 7:25Signs in the Sky - 6th Seal - (Great Earthquake, Bloody Moon,Blackout of the Sun #1, Meteors falling, Mountains and Islands moving,Sky splits apart) Rv 6:12-14, Matthew 24:29, Joel 2:30-31, 3:14-16144,000 of the tribe of Israel are sealed - Rv 7:2-4Martyrs that came out of the Great Tribulation stand before God -Rv 7:9-17DAY OF THE LORD7th Seal - Trumpet Judgments of the Wrath of God - Rv 8:1,61st Trumpet - Hail and Fire Destruction of all the grass and 1/3 oftrees. Rv 8:72nd Trumpet - Meteorfalls into the Ocean destroying 1/3 of ships andsea life. Rv 8:8-93rd Trumpet -Wormwood falls from the Heavens causing fresh waterto become bitter. Rv 8:10-114th Trumpet - Darkening of a third of the sun, moon, and stars. Rv

8:12, Joel 3:135th Trumpet - Locusts from the Bottomless Pit and Blackout of theSun #2. Rv 9:1-106th Trumpet - Eastern army of200,000,000 men kill 1/3 of mankind. Rv9:13-19Death of the Two Witnesses. Rv 11:7-10Resurrection of the Two Witnesses on the Third day occurring inview of the World. Rv 11:11-12Earthquake strikes Jerusalem destroying 1/10 of the city - Rv 11:137th Trumpet - Consists of seven Bowl Judgements of the Wrath ofGod.1st Bowl - Sores on men with the Mark of the Beast. Rv 16:22nd Bowl - All creatures in the sea die. Rv 16:33rd Bowl - Rivers and Springs become blood. Rv 16:44th Bowl - Sun scorches the earth. Rv 16:8-95th Bowl - Kingdom of the Antichrist/Beast becomes full ofdarkness.

Rv 16:10-116th Bowl - Euphrates river dries up allowing the Chinese army tomove to Armageddon. Rv 16:127th Bowl - Greatest earthquake ever, Spiritual Babylon and/or Romeis destroyed. Rv 16:17-19, Jeremiah 51:24,26

ARMAGEDDONGathering of the Antichrist, kings and, armies of the world.Zechariah 14:2-5, Rv 16:13-14,16, Rv 19:19, Daniel 11:40-45Final Conquest and Plundering of Jerusalem. Joel 3:2,12,Zechariah 14:2,3

SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAHSecond Coming - Rv 19:11, Zechariah 14:3-5Beast and False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire. Rv 19:20-21Destruction of the armies by the word of God. Rv 20:15,21,Zechariah 12:98, 14:2-5,12

MILLENNIUMChrist rules on Earth.Satan bound in the abyss for 1000 years. Rv 20:2-3Satan released to make war for the last time. Rv 20:7-9Satan thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. Rv 20:10

GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENTJudgment of Nations Rv 20:11-15

NEW HEAVEN AND EARTHRv 21:1-2,12-14


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What Has Happened to Hellfire?WHAT image does the word "hell" conjure up in your mind? Do you see hell as a literal

place of fire and brimstone, of unending torment and anguish? Or is hell perhaps a symbolicdescription of a condition, a state?

For centuries, a fiery hell of excruciating torments has been envisioned by religious leaders

of Christendom as the certain des

jehovah witnesses and hell

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