Chapter 1
SHEOL, HADES and GEHENNA
In the Old Testament, the Bible of the Hebrews, we find only one common word rendered ‘Hell,’ namely, the word SHEOL. Stripped of its acquired connotation of ‘fire and brimstone,’ Sheol simply means “a chamber.” Materialistic minds could conceive of nothing aside from the physical body, therefore, the cave, the tomb or grave became that ‘chamber'(Sheol) to which the dead went.
The writings by the Hebrew Prophets were translated into Greek, reportedly around 300 B.C.
“The Greek rendering of Sheol became Hades. The word’s meaning enlarges slightly on the ‘chamber’ connotation of Sheol, expanding into ‘an underworld for the dead.’ Its simple meaning is but that of the ‘UNSEEN’ (world). Wherefore, the Old Testament passages rendered ‘hell’ in the A.V. (Authorized Version), merely referred to the ‘chambers’ of the ‘UNseen’ world into which departed the ‘souls’ of the dead. Emphatically is it here stated that nowhere in the O.T. Prophets do we find the concept of torment associated with their ‘sheol.’ Only through ‘type’ and associations therewith can suffering be linked to Sheol.”
“The Valley of Hinom outside of Jerusalem, wherein refuse, garbage and sometimes dead bodies were burned, became known as Gehenna (the Land of Hinnom). In the New Testament of the Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ introduced this word in connection with life beyond the grave. And, in the metaphorical sense He used it, linking suffering to it; although primarily, destruction. Yet suffering is the usual forerunner to destruction. We also find our Lord speaking of “eonian fire” (Matt. 25:41), while in the final ‘Revelation’ book of our New Testament, the “lake of fire” is introduced.”
EVOLUTION OF THE HELL CONCEPT
“Belief in, and concepts of ‘Hell’ common in our day, are principally– if not entirely– peculiar to Christendom. However, that fact by itself does not disprove ‘Hell.’ Nevertheless, it is well that we should consider the origin of the doctrine that we may better understand both its basis and falacies.
Back in the “Garden of Eden” where God warned Adam of the consequences of eating of the forbidden fruit, we find not the faintest allusion to any ‘Hell’ awaiting him beyond death. GOD, as a compassionate and loving Father (IF such we assume Him to be), would, logically, have most sternly warned Adam then and there of the ‘HELL’ into which He would precipitate both himself and his progeny -were he ever to eat of the forbidden fruit. Yet we find not the faintest hint that such a warning was ever sounded. WHY?”
According to the revered Record, God Himself formed man ‘in His own image.’ Then He goes on to tell us the law of genetics, how all the species ‘brought forth after their own kind.’ By this we know that the highest and noblest which has ever been manifest by a human parent, is but THE VERY NATURE OF GOD finding expression in His own spirit offspring.
Let us assume that a truly noble, human parent has a son. Later when the son has arrived at a measure of understanding, the father tells him that in the house is an unlocked door marked ‘FORBIDDEN.’ All places he may go; full liberty is his, yet the door ‘Forbidden’ must never be opened. Should he ever enter, he will ‘understand’ and ‘die.’ In process of time, the young, married man’s curiosity gets the best of him; he enters upon his father’s secret! As the father learns thereof, he banishes the son from his estate; yet that is not enough: he decrees that the son must be tormented, and that without ever ceasing. Yet this is not sufficiently satisfying vengeance for the old man; for, he decrees that the resources of his estate must command the services of the world’s best doctors to keep his son alive indefinitely – in order that he may suffer torment ‘everlastingly’! Yet this, too, is not sufficient for the old rich man! Wherefore, he further decrees that all children of the exiled son must similarly be put through sadistic and monstrous torment everlastingly’ to and through the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills, AS WELL AS THEIR CHILDREN’S CHIILDREN THROUGHOUT THE UNCEASING LAPS OF THE COSMIC TIDE!
Who has ever heard of such a ‘good’ and ‘noble’ father among the children of men? What Hitler or what monstrous pagan would not shudder and revolt in horror at such an unthinkable demon in human form? Yet the foregoing is but a miniature portrait of the ‘God’ of Christendom (according to the common dogmas)!
Nevertneless, let us not fall into the error of creating God according to our own imagination; but rather let our fearless reasoning which exposes the fiendish nightmares of a stygian night, become our spur and incentive to an unrelenting SEARCH FOR TRUTH – YIELDING JOY AND PEACE THROUGH UNDERSTANDING, AND HONOR UNTO OUR ‘FATHER’.
The only extensive Old Testament reference to ‘Hell’ of which I am aware, is to be found in Ezekiel, chapters 31-32:From within the grave the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, `They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.’ Ezekiel 32:21
If the reader will carefully peruse both these chapters of Ezekiel (31-32), the most exhaustive Old Testament statement about Sheol and the ‘Pit’ will be found, yet there is not the faintest hint about suffering, and assuredly not about ‘torment.’ WHY? Because God never spoke to His prophets about the ‘torments of the damned’! Insofar as the revered Record goes, the Lord Jesus was the first to associate suffering with the afterlife, while the dogmas of ‘Hell’ were later inventions.
Back through the eons of recorded time, education was the privilege of the favored few. In the days of Moses and the Hebrew people, the knowledge of ‘letters’ became the privilege of the Levitical priesthood. Since they were the Divinely appointed custodians of the Law, ‘learning’ became their lot. And this selfsame priesthood had “the power of life and death” among their own people. Since the common mass among them was without understanding of ‘letters’ (the alphabet), they became dependent on the priesthood for an “interpretation of the Law;” in fact, for their every concept of life and conduct aside from the most elementary. Thus did the Jewish priesthood become both revered and FEARED.
In the days of Christianity’s inception, Rome ruled Palestine. In every little detail, Rome was intimately acquainted with Jewish life, belief and practice. Then dawned the fateful year of 70 AD when Roman legions under Titus invaded Palestine, bringing to complete ruin both the temple and the Jewish theocracy. After almost three centuries of persecution, Christianity was recognized by Rome, becoming its State Religion. At the time, the masses of its own people – and those of subjected nations – were of non-Jewish stock: they were not a people trained in the fear of Yahweh, but a grossly idolatrous and ‘barbaric’ people. Such were not easily ‘handled.’
Although we have in our midst a church which claims “holy apostolic succession” for all of its ‘popes’ right back to “St. Peter,” any unbiased person can learn for oneself through the study of secular history that many of its popes were but selfish tyrants, wielding their powers in the interests of self and the church. We need not go so far as to wholly impugn their motives; we need go no further than to recognize that some of them had great ambition to ‘Christianize’ their vast, pagan citizenry. But HOW? FEAR has always been the super weapon used to cow the ignorant masses. Rome and her popes were not oblivious to the power resident in fear, fostered through ignorance. ‘LOVE’ was too slow a ferment (for them) to leaven the lump of pagan carnality. THEN was born the concept of throttling the people through FEAR. IGNORANCE had to be fostered to keep the masses in subjection. There were no printing presses, while education was scarce and rudimentary. So the “everlasting torments of hell” concept was used to frighten them into the ecclesiastic net from the one side, while a visionary and grandiose ‘heaven’ was the alluring ‘REWARD’ unto all the ‘faithful’ who would not desert the flock and that supported the financial coffers of the church. Thus the double-barreled weapon of HELL and Heaven brought its ‘harvest’ unto the church of Rome….
But in the process of time an ‘enemy’ rose up in the form of the printing press. ‘Education’ made its inroads while portions of translated and printed Scripture appeared. Immediately the ‘church’ forbade its communicants to read any portion of printed Scripture. As late as the 14th century in a ‘civilized’ land, the Archbishop of Canterbury threatened the “greater excommunication” upon any and all who might read publicly or privately any portion of Wycliffe’s version. or any other! And as late as 1536 and 1555 AD, in the same ‘civilized’ land, William Tyndale and John Rogers were respectively burned at the stake for having translated the Scriptures (or portions thereof)! Were it not for the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of civil authorities which has throttled the power of ecclesiastical authorities, there would still be mass fryings in the name of Christ our Lord.
Such – in brief – is the history of the “dogma of Hell” and the lollypops on the pink ice cream train to ‘Heaven.’ Yet no believer in Christ Jesus can lightly reject ‘Hell’ and its associated suffering; for, assuredly, the record shows that He spoke thereof. But our objective in viewing the origin of Hell’s dogma, is to better understand the extremities and monstrous teachings linked thereto (rather than to dismiss its thought). Having robbed it of its hysteria, we are in a state of mental quietude and awareness: enabling an assessment of God’s true Word.
Since Jesus, whom we call Christ, is Christendom’s prime authority for the concept of suffering as linked with Hell, we shall first scrutinize His words to learn what He taught. Thereafter, we shall go back to Genesis and the Old Testament Prophets to see how by ‘TYPE’ the same Truths are taught. And finally, in a consummation of the Vision Glorious, you shall walk with me through the Dark Domain to view in detail the ‘souls in torment;’ to look into the awesome depths of the “lake of fire” from whence we shall soar through the star-studded mansions of LIGHT to gaze upon the “souls of the blessed” – in ecstasy enraptured in the GLORY OF HIS PRESENCE!”
By Mikkel Dahl
