Message to Ephesus (3)

Christ's Message to Ephesus

A number of traditions hold that the apostle John lived in Ephesus toward the end of the first century ( Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers, article “Ephesus”). When Jesus appeared to John and gave him the vision recorded for us in the last book of the Bible, John was on the island of Patmos off the coast of Asia Minor. As the vision unfolded, John must have been surprised as Jesus vividly and accurately described the challenges facing the congregation where it is likely he most often attended.

Christ began by telling them, “I know your works, your labor” (Revelation 2:2). Jesus knew how powerfully the gospel had been preached in Asia Minor. He was well aware of the impact of the truth upon the entire city of Ephesus. He also knew how the whole congregation was involved. He commended them saying, “you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake” (verse 3).

Jesus also praised them for rejecting false teachers saying, “you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars” (verse 2). They had obviously heeded Paul and Timothy's advice to beware of such teachers. They had successfully faced this challenge and had not become weary through this taxing process (verse 3).

Now we come to an important admonition. Even though Ephesus was greatly commended, Jesus also said, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent” (verses 4-5). They had lost their initial excitement and zeal for doing God's work. Over the years their enthusiasm had waned. Jesus warned them to return to their “first love” so they wouldn't lose their place as part of the Church of God.

Next, Jesus again praised them for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans (verse 6). Who were these Nicolaitans? According to the Expositor's Bible Commentary of the New Testament, “The close association of the name with the Balaamites in 2:14-15 may suggest either identity with this group or similarity to their teachings.” As we will later see, those who follow Balaam's example are ones who compromise God's instructions. The Ephesians didn't accept this insidious way of thinking.

Finally, Jesus concludes His message to Ephesus saying, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (verse 7). Just how can we apply Jesus' command to adhere to this instruction originally given to the church at Ephesus? What is the modern application?

Modern Application

Like our spiritual brethren in Ephesus at the close of the first century, God's people today must reject modern false teachers and their mistaken ideas masquerading as Christianity. The United Church of God today strives to continue in the path followed by the Body of Christ throughout the centuries. It is our spiritual conviction to hold fast to the true doctrines of Christ and reject those who attempt to annul and alter His teachings.

Now we come to what is perhaps the most important consideration for God's people today in the message to Ephesus-the warning to return to our “first love.” This term, “first love,” refers to love for and among our spiritual brethren and for our enthusiasm in doing the work of God. It does not mean one doesn't have any love. It simply means he or she doesn't have the same amount or degree as before.

When we face trials and difficulties, apathy is a common result. We become too tired to expend the same energy as before. We can tell ourselves that it is no longer necessary to preach the gospel-we can just hold fast until Christ returns. Yet Christ tells us to “repent [regret our recent actions and change] and do the first works” (Revelation 2:5). This is done by returning to our initial love of our brethren, of God and of doing His work. To better grasp the magnitude of Christ's directive, let's consider the characteristics of a Christian in his or her first love.

To be contd.


God bless you all.

Message to Ephesus (2)

Earliest Beginnings

The Church of God at Ephesus likely began through the efforts of Paul and the husband-wife team of Aquila and Priscilla in A.D. 50. The Scriptures indicate that these three worked together in Corinth as tentmakers (Acts 18:1-3) while Paul also preached and taught in the local synagogue. After some time in Corinth, the three sailed to Ephesus. Upon arrival, Paul preached in the synagogue and then left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus while he returned to Jerusalem to observe one of God's Holy Days. Paul promised to return if God so willed (verses 18-21).

While Paul continued his travels to Jerusalem, then on to Galatia and Phrygia (verses 21 and 23), a zealous and gifted speaker named Apollos came to Ephesus. Though he had a good knowledge of the Scriptures, he understood only the baptism of John (verse 25). Priscilla and Aquila then took him aside and explained to him “the way of God more accurately” (verse 26). This combination of Apollos' speaking and Prisicilla and Aquila's instruction began to bear fruit.

When the apostle Paul returned to Ephesus, he found a number of disciples, including about a dozen men (Acts 19:1, 7). Paul then began an extensive ministry in Ephesus by baptizing these disciples and laying his hands on them for the receiving of the Holy Spirit (verses 5-6). From this exciting beginning, Paul spent three months teaching in the synagogue and then two years in “the school of Tyrannus.” This was one of the apostle Paul's longer stays and the results were impressive-“all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus” (verses 8-10). It also appears that Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8).

Noteworthy Events

During Paul's ministry in Ephesus several other noteworthy events took place. Here, it is recorded that “God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (verses 11-12). When seven sons of Sceva unsuccessfully tried to follow Paul's example of exorcising evil spirits, they ended up fleeing the house “naked and wounded” (verse 16). The result? “This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified” (verse 17).

In the wake of these events, many in Ephesus turned from their practice of magic and burned their books pertaining to that craft. It is recorded that the value of these books amounted to “fifty thousand pieces of silver” and “the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (verses 19-20).

The truth of God made such an impact in the area that local craftsmen who made replicas of shrines to Diana soon became fearful that this teaching would put them out of business (verses 23-41). After this “great commotion” (verse 23) died down, Paul left Ephesus for Macedonia (Acts 20:1). Paul's teaching in Ephesus had monumental success. It was also the most probable foundation for the establishment of other congregations in Asia Minor.

When Paul left the area, Timothy remained to care for the congregation at Ephesus. Paul's pressing advice for Timothy was to warn the brethren to beware of false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3; 2 Timothy 4:3). In a brief, final trip back through the region, Paul also met with the Ephesian elders, telling them, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29-31).

To be contd.

God bless you all.

Message to Ephesus: Recapture Your First Love!

Let's examine the universal spiritual advice Jesus Christ gave for Christians of all time in his message to the church in Ephesus.

Many people today think of Jesus Christ's messages to the churches in the book of Revelation as simply historical warnings to the specific congregations addressed. While it is true that these were warnings to specific congregations, there is also a much broader application. The messages to each congregation are relevant today to all the people of God. This timeless instruction is strikingly applicable to events Christians continue to face.

Christ's admonition: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” is repeated within the message to each congregation (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). This warning tells us that we need to carefully consider and heed all of the messages. Let's examine the universal spiritual advice given by Jesus for Christians of all time. To better understand what Christ is telling us today through these messages, it is helpful to examine the history of a specific congregation and then consider Christ's instruction as we make the spiritual application for today. Let's take a close look at the message to Ephesus.

Ephesus was a large and important city on the west coast of Asia Minor. According to Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “A number of factors contributed to the prominence which Ephesus enjoyed.

“The first factor was economics. Situated at the mouth of the river Cayster, Ephesus was the most favorable seaport in the province of Asia and the most important trade center west of Tarsus. Today, because of silting from the river, the ruins of the city lie in a swamp 8 to 11 kilometers (5 to 7 miles) inland.

“Another factor was size. Although Pergamum was the capital of the province of Asia in Roman times, Ephesus was the largest city in the province, having a population of perhaps 300,000 people.

“A third factor was culture. Ephesus contained a theater that seated an estimated 25,000 people. A main thoroughfare, some 35 meters (105 feet) wide, ran from the theater to the harbor, at each end of which stood an impressive gate. The thoroughfare was flanked on each side by rows of columns 15 meters (50 feet) deep. Behind these columns were baths, gymnasiums, and impressive buildings.

“The fourth, and perhaps most significant, reason for the prominence of Ephesus was religion. The Temple of Artemis (or Diana, according to her Roman name) at Ephesus ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As the twin sister of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus, Artemis was known variously as the moon goddess, the goddess of hunting and the patroness of young girls. The temple at Ephesus housed the multi-breasted image of Artemis which was reputed to have come directly from Zeus (Acts 19:35).

“The temple of Artemis in Paul's day was supported by 127 columns, each of them 60 meters (197 feet) high. The Ephesians took great pride in this grand edifice. During the Roman period, they promoted the worship of Artemis by minting coins with the inscription, 'Diana of Ephesus'” (electronic database, article “Ephesus”).

To be contd.

God bless you all.

Everlasting Life Conquers Death (2)

Responding to God in faith

Is it worth it to seek God’s Kingdom rather than sinful pleasures or priorities in this world? Many are not so sure.

But God assures us that His promise of eternal life is more than worth the effort, struggles and disappointments of life and death: “Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Everlasting life is, after all, a matter of faith (John 3:16). Faith is not just a warm, vague feeling that Jesus has done everything for us. Faith is a frame of mind that is expressed by the kind of person you choose to be, the actions that express what you believe (James 2:20-24). When all is said and done, we must have faith that eternal life is worth anything we might be required to endure to receive it (Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:12-14).

Learning more about life, death and what happens after death should make quite an impact on how you live. That knowledge should make you pause and consider what use you are making of the precious gift of life and whether you are using it to prepare for the eternal life God offers you.

Psalm 90 was composed by Moses. In this prayer to God he contrasts the power of God with the frailties of man. He writes of God’s view of time, of the relative mere moment that represents our lifetime, and of the punishment that is sometimes necessary to correct man’s ways. In Psalms 90:10-12 he says: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Regrettably, most people seem to notice that life is short only after much of it has slipped away. We must learn to number our days, keeping in mind that our time will pass and we must take care to make the most of it (see Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5). Solomon told us to remember the Creator in the days of our youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

What will you do?

Peter wrote of the culmination of God’s plan. He prophesied of the time during which everything physical will be burned up and replaced by new heavens and a new earth. Then he asks a challenging rhetorical question: How does that knowledge change your life? “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be, in holy conduct and godliness … ?” (2 Peter 3:10-11).

Understanding the meaning of life, death and what follows this physical life can give priceless comfort and hope in the face of death. It should also have a great impact on the kind of person you are, motivating you to live carefully and make wise choices. Knowing that the purpose of this life is to prepare you for an eternal life of power and ability beyond anything you can imagine should encourage you to turn to God so He can begin to fulfill His purpose in you!

God bless you all.

Everlasting Life Conquers Death

Through a resurrection of the dead, God promises to reunite us with loved ones and offer eternal life to all.
Eventually God’s plan will lead to death itself being destroyed in an awesome future almost beyond our comprehension!

Death has always been humanity’s enemy. It brings loneliness, sadness, disorientation. But it need not be a mystery nor be entirely devastating. Even though it is inevitable, death is not the end. Though at times death seems unfair and arbitrary, it does not thwart God’s plan for eternal life. Through a resurrection God will reunite us with family and friends and extend His promises to all who have ever lived.

Eventually there will come a time when death itself will be banished. Writing about the resurrection that will take place when Jesus returns, Paul paraphrased from the book of Hosea: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades [grave] where is your victory?’” (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). Death will be swallowed up and defeated in the victory of eternal life.

Holding on to this view of the future can give us hope and optimism at a time of great loss. “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep [died], lest you sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

A future beyond our wildest hopes

Some people are put off by the thought of eternal life. Some feel this life is painful and difficult enough, so why would anyone want to live forever? Others may think that eternity sounds vague and uninteresting, that if it means they have to give up pleasure in this lifetime it just isn’t worth the effort. They would rather experience all the good times they can for now and worry about eternity some other time.

In all the scriptures we’ve read we’ve seen that God wants to give us an everlasting, eternal, immortal life. We are assured that it is more valuable than any physical treasure (Colossians 1:26-27; Colossians 2:2-3). But exactly what will we be doing for eternity? If receiving eternal life requires effort and sacrifice in this life, is it going to be worth it?

Let’s remember the limitations of our human experience and observation. God is so far above us that it’s difficult for us to understand His ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). What God is preparing to give us is beyond our wildest imaginations and fantasies: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

God is Creator. He plans, builds, implements. He designed the universe and devised His plan and our reward before He even started creating it (Matthew 25:34). He is planning and preparing an infinitely more exciting and rewarding life for us in His divine family (John 14:1-3). We can only try to begin to imagine the incredible and eternally enjoyable life He wants to give us—an eternal life free from human limitations and disappointments, weaknesses and suffering.

Pain, disappointment and death will be no more. Regarding the vision he received of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), the apostle John wrote: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

From Revelation 21 and 22 we learn that those who receive eternal life will be a family, the children of God, with community relationships in the New Jerusalem. Relationship principles that God is teaching us now will be as applicable then as they are today. That is why God wants us to learn and apply His ways in our lives now. What we can take with us for all eternity is our love and concern for one another.

The full hope and meaning of an eternal existence with God and Jesus Christ is truly beyond our ability to grasp or express. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

John states that God hasn’t revealed everything that He has in mind for us, as we can’t yet conceive of what it means to be fully like the glorified Jesus Christ. Our finite minds couldn’t contain it.

We have seen prophecies that take us into the future about 1,000 years beyond Christ’s promised return. As Paul wrote, we see spiritual concepts and promises in a kind of vague outline as if we were looking through a steamed-up mirror (1 Corinthians 13:12). But someday, as Paul also says in this verse, we will see clearly—just as clearly as God sees everything about us.


God bless you all.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Lazarus and the Rich Man Proof of Heaven and Hell?

Many interpret one of Jesus' parables to mean that people have immortal souls that go to heaven or hell immediately at death.

But does this parable really say that?

Let’s examine the matter, paying close attention to the historical context.

Jesus presents the following story: “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

“And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

“But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead’ ” (Luke 16:19-31).

When we look at this account in light of other scriptures and in its historical context, it becomes apparent that this is an allegory, a familiar story of the time that Jesus uses to point out a spiritual lesson to those who knew the law but did not keep it. It was never intended to be understood literally.

Bible language expert Dr. Lawrence Richards, in discussing this passage in The Victor Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, explains that Jesus used contemporary Jewish thought about the afterlife (which by this time was influenced by pagan mythology) to point out a spiritual lesson about how we view and treat others.

In this view of the afterlife, Hades, the abode of the dead, was “thought to be divided into two compartments” and “conversations could be held between persons” in the abode of the righteous and those in the abode of the unrighteous. “Jewish writings also picture the first as a verdant land with sweet waters welling up from numerous springs,” separated from the second, which was described as a parched and dry land. These elements show up in Christ’s allegory.

“In Christ’s story God was the beggar’s only source of help, for the rich man was certainly not going to do a single thing for him!…It is important to see this parable of Jesus as a continuation of His conflict with the Pharisees over riches. Christ has said, ‘You cannot serve God and Money’ (Luke 16:13). When the Pharisees sneered, Jesus responded, ‘What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight’ (Luke 16:15).

“There’s no doubt that the Pharisees remained unconvinced…And so Christ told a story intended to underline the importance of what He had just said…

“During this life the wealthy man would surely have been featured on the 1980s TV program, ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.’ The cameras would have focused on his marble mansion with its decorative wrought iron gates…and the fabulous feasts he held for his important friends.

“As the TV equipment was taken into the rich man’s home, a cameraman might have stumbled over the dying beggar, destitute and abandoned just outside the rich man’s house…Surely he was beneath the notice of the homeowner, who never gave a thought to the starving man just outside, though all Lazarus yearned for was just a crumb from the over laden tables.

“If we look only at this life, the rich man seems to be both blessed and fortunate, and the poor man, rejected and cursed. There is no question which state people would highly value, and which they would find detestable.

“But then, Jesus says, both men died. And suddenly their situations are reversed! Lazarus is by ‘Abraham’s side,’ a phrase which pictures him reclining in the place of honor at a banquet that symbolizes eternal blessedness. But the rich man finds himself in torment, separated from the place of blessing by a ‘great chasm’ (Luke 16:26). Even though he begs for just one drop of water, Abraham sadly shakes his head. No relief is possible—or appropriate!…

“The rich man had received his good things, and had used them selfishly for his benefit alone. Despite frequent injunctions in the O[ld] T[estament] for the rich to share their good things with the poor, this rich man’s indifference to Lazarus showed how far his heart was from God and how far his path had strayed from God’s ways. They were his riches, and he would use them only for himself. Ah, how well the rich man depicts those Pharisees who ‘loved money’ and who even then were sneering at Jesus!

“And so Jesus’ first point is driven home. You Pharisees simply cannot love God and Money. Love for Money is detestable to God, for you will surely be driven to make choices in life which are hateful to Him. A love of money may serve you well in this life. But in the world to come, you will surely pay.

“But Jesus does not stop here. He portrays the rich man as appealing to Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, who live as selfishly as he did. Again Abraham refuses. They have ‘Moses and the Prophets’ (Luke 16:31), that is, the Scriptures. If they do not heed the Scriptures they will not respond should one come back from the dead…

“In essence then Christ makes a stunning charge: the hardness and unwillingness of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law to Jesus’ words reflect a hardness to the Word of God itself, which these men pretend to honor…

“This entire chapter calls us to realize that if we take this reality seriously, it will affect the way we view and use money, and the way we respond to the poor and the oppressed” (1994, pp. 193-195). This is the point of the allegory Jesus uses, Dr. Richards explains, not to teach the popular (but erroneous) idea of heaven and hell.

God bless you all.

The Biblical View of 'Hell' (2)

A word does refer to burning—burning up, that is

It is only with the remaining word translated “hell”—the Greek word gehenna —that we see some elements people commonly associate with the traditional view of hell. However, this word also has significant differences from the popular conception.

Gehenna “is derived from the Hebr[ew] expression, ga-Hinnom, Valley of Hinnom … Religiously it was a place of idolatrous and human sacrifices … In order to put an end to these abominations, [Judah’s King] Josiah polluted it with human bones and other corruptions (2 Kings 23:10-14)” (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, 1992, p. 360).

Thanks in large part to its evil reputation, this valley bordering Jerusalem on the south came to be used as the city garbage dump. Trash was burned there, along with the bodies of dead animals and criminals. Fires day and night consumed the refuse.

Gehenna is used 12 times in the Bible, with 11 of those recording Christ’s words. When Jesus spoke of gehenna, His listeners knew that this “hell” was a consuming fire in which garbage and the bodies of the wicked were destroyed. He bluntly warned that this destroying fire would be the fate of the incorrigibly wicked (Matthew 5:22-30; Matthew 23:15-33; Luke 12:5).

But when would this take place? The book of Malachi reveals that the future age to come is when the unrepentant wicked will be incinerated in an all-consuming inferno and turned to ashes on the earth (Malachi 4:1-3).

The book of Revelation calls this inferno “the lake of fire”—with those cast into it at the end experiencing “the second death,” a death from which there will be no resurrection (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10-15; Revelation 21:8).

In the time frame revealed in the Bible, this follows 1,000 years of Christ’s reign on the earth (Revelation 20:1-6) and a resurrection to physical life of all those who have never known God and His ways (Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-13). Those resurrected at that time will have the opportunity to learn God’s ways, repent and receive His gift of eternal life. Some, however, will refuse that gift. The Bible records their tragic epitaph: “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

Those who with full understanding willfully choose to reject God’s way won’t be allowed to continue living in the misery their choice will bring. They will die and cease to exist, not suffer forever.

We see, then, that an examination of all the words translated “hell” and of related concepts in Scripture shows that the traditional view of an ever-burning place of torment where the wicked are punished for eternity cannot be found in the Bible.

God bless you all.

The Biblical View of 'Hell'

Is eternity in an ever-burning inferno the fate of the wicked? Many assume that it is, but is that what the Bible says?
The end of this chapter delves into the matter of what will happen to the incorrigibly wicked—those who ultimately refuse to repent of their sins. Many assume that their fate is eternity in an ever-burning inferno in a dark underworld called hell, but is that really what the Bible says?

To answer that question, we need to understand the Hebrew and Greek words translated “hell” in most versions of the Bible. As we will see, the biblical view of hell is not one of unending torment.

Two words translated “hell” refer to the grave

Sheol is the Hebrew word translated “hell” throughout the Old Testament. It refers to “the state and abode of the dead; hence the grave in which the body rests” (William Wilson, Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies, “Hell,” p. 215). The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words explains, “Thus there are no references to eternal destiny but simply to the grave as the resting place of the bodies of all people” (Lawrence Richards, 1985, p. 336).

Reflecting its true meaning, many modern Bible versions translate this word as simply “the grave” or leave it untranslated as  Sheol.

Among those who knew that they themselves were going to sheol were such men of faith as Jacob (Genesis 37:35), Job (Job 14:13), David (Psalms 88:3) and Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:10). These followers of God would not have been going to an ever-burning inferno. Clearly, then, sheol must mean simply the grave, not a place of eternal torment.

The counterpart of sheol in the Greek language is hades, which also refers to the grave. Despite the use of the term Hades in Greek mythology to refer to a subterranean realm of shadowy consciousness after death, this is not the biblical usage. In the four New Testament verses that quote Old Testament passages containing sheol, hades is used for sheol (Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15; Acts 2:27-31). As with sheol, hades is rendered as “the grave” or “death” or left untranslated as Hades in recent Bible versions.

As with sheol, the word hades likewise does not refer to a place of fiery torment. Indeed, the apostle Peter refers to Christ Himself as having been in “Hades” (Acts 2:27-31) or “hell” (King James Version), referring to the time He was entombed before His resurrection. Again, both words simply refer to the grave. And in the grave, there is no consciousness at all (Ecclesiastes 9:5-10; Psalms 6:5; Psalms 146:4, KJV).

One word refers to the imprisonment of demons

A second Greek word, tartaroo, is also translated “hell” in the New Testament. This word is used only once in the Bible (2 Peter 2:4), where it refers to the present restraint or imprisonment of the fallen angels, or demons.

The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words explains that tartaroo means “to confine in Tartaros” and that “Tartaros was the Greek name for the mythological abyss in which rebellious gods were confined” (Lawrence Richards, 1985, “Heaven and Hell”). Peter used this reference to contemporary mythology to show that the sinning angels were “delivered…into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.” These fallen angels are now restrained while awaiting their ultimate judgment for their rebellion against God and destructive influence on humanity. The place where they are restrained is the earth, where they wield influence over the nations, not some dark netherworld.

Furthermore, tartaroo applies only to demons. Nowhere does it refer to a fiery hell in which people are punished after death.\

To be cont'd.

God bless you all.

Are Some Tortured Forever in a Lake of Fire?

Any human being thrown nto the lake of fire will be destroyed and will not be tormented for eternity.

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are [or were cast, as many acknowledge this should be rendered]. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

Does this verse say that these two end-time individuals, the Beast and False Prophet, will be tormented for eternity?

The Beast and False Prophet are human beings. While still alive, they will be cast into the lake of fire. “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20).

We see from Malachi 4:1-3 and Mark 9:47-48 that any human being thrown into the lake of fire will be destroyed. He will perish. But he will not be tormented for eternity.

Revelation 20:10 is speaking of Satan the devil being cast into the lake of fire at the end of Christ’s 1,000-year reign. Reference to the Beast and False Prophet being cast in is only parenthetical here—as they will have died when that happened 1,000 years earlier. They will not still be burning there. Thus being tormented “forever and ever” applies principally to Satan—and presumably to his demonic cohorts as well (compare Matthew 25:41).

Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the Greek phrase translated “forever and ever” here, eis tous aionas ton aionon, literally means “unto the ages of the ages.” While this might mean for eternity, it could also mean until the culmination of the ages, which would allow for an ending point soon after the casting into the fire.


God bless you all.