<P>Since the dead have no conscious existence, hell cannot be a fiery place of torment where the wicked suffer after death. What, then, is hell? Examining what happened to Jesus after he died helps to answer that question. The Bible writer Luke recounts: "Neither was [Jesus] forsaken in Hades [hell, <I>King James Version</I>] nor did his flesh see corruption."<A href="http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm#footnote1" name=footnote1_src>*</A> (Acts 2:31) Where was the hell to which even Jesus went? The apostle Paul wrote: "I handed on to <NOBR>you . . .</NOBR> that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, yes, that he has been raised up the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) So Jesus was in hell, the grave, but he was not abandoned there, for he was raised up, or resurrected.</P>
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<TD align=middle><IMG height=146 alt="Job suffering" src="http://www.watchtower.org/images/w/2002/7/15/job.jpg" width=200></TD></TR>
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<TD class=cap align=middle>Job prayed for protection in hell</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<P>Consider also the case of the righteous man Job, who suffered much. Wishing to escape his plight, he pleaded: "Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell [Sheol], and hide me till thy wrath pass?"<A href="http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm#footnote2" name=footnote2_src><FONT size=-1><SUP>#</SUP></FONT></A> (Job 14:13, <I>Douay Version</I>) How unreasonable to think that Job desired to go to a fiery-hot place for protection! To Job, "hell" was simply the grave, where his suffering would end. The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go.</P>
<P>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 into the lake of fire." "The lake" mentioned here is symbolic, since death and hell (Hades) that are thrown into it cannot literally be burned. "This [lake of fire] means the second death"—death from which there is no hope of coming back to life.—Revelation 20:14.</P>
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<TD align=middle><IMG height=132 alt="Valley of Hinnom" src="http://www.watchtower.org/images/w/2002/7/15/gehenna.jpg" width=200></TD></TR>
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<TD class=cap align=middle>Fiery Gehenna—a symbol of eternal destruction</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<P>The lake of fire has a meaning similar to that of "the fiery Gehenna [hell fire, <I>King James Version</I>]" that Jesus spoke of. (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:47, 48) Gehenna occurs 12 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and it refers to the valley of Hinnom, outside the walls of Jerusalem. When Jesus was on earth, this valley was used as a garbage dump, "where the dead bodies of criminals, and the carcasses of animals, and every other kind of filth was cast." (<I>Smith's Dictionary of the Bible</I>) The fires were kept burning by adding sulfur to burn up the refuse. Jesus used that valley as a proper symbol of everlasting destruction.</P>
<P>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 the condemnation 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's memory who are in hell—the common grave of mankind—have a marvelous future.</P>
<H3>Hell Emptied!</H3>
<P>Revelation 20:13 states: "The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them." Yes, the Bible hell will be emptied. As Jesus promised, "the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [Jesus'] voice and come out." (John 5:28, 29) Although no longer presently existing in any form, millions of dead ones who are in Jehovah God's memory will be resurrected, or brought back to life, in a restored earthly paradise.—Luke 23:43; Acts 24:15.</P>
<P>In the new world of God's making, resurrected humans who comply with his righteous laws will 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 for those in hell—"the memorial tombs"! This blessing indeed is reason enough for us to take in more knowledge of Jehovah God and his Son, Jesus Christ.—John 17:3.</P>
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<TD class=cap align=middle width=291>'Those in the memorial tombs will come out'</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=-1>In the <I>King James Version,</I> the Greek word <I>Hades</I> is rendered "hell" in each of its ten occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures. The rendering at Luke 16:19-31 mentions torment, but the entire account is symbolic in meaning.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>The Hebrew word <I>Sheol</I> occurs 65 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is rendered "hell," "grave," and "pit" in the <I>King James Version.</I></DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG>POSH</STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV><BR><BR><B><I>gcfl-discuss@gcfl.net</I></B> wrote:</DIV>
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<DIV> Posh, </DIV>
<DIV> Ok I disagree with you. First off God will destroy anyone who does not have a personal walk with him. Second of all the many times hell is written about in the Bible is so often I did not bother to count them because it would take too long. In 2Pe 2:4 God cast the angels that sinned into hell until the judgement.</DIV>
<DIV><EM>2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM> </EM>In Revelation ( which is a book written about the future) all people who's name were not written in the book of life were cast into the lake of fire ( hell)</DIV>
<DIV><EM>Re 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM> </EM>If you study the Bible closely ( not meaning you havn't) you will find Gods plan is like this"</DIV>
<DIV> God made man.Man lived in the garden. Man sinned. God sent his only begotton Son JESUS into the world so that we may be saved through him. If man ( this is meaning women too :) does not accept Christ & truely walk with him before he dies he goes to <EM><STRONG><U>hell</U></STRONG></EM>. No matter how much anyone ever wants to change that, it is the way it is because that is what the Bible says. </DIV>
<DIV>Jeff</DIV>_______________________________________________<BR>GCFL-discuss mailing list<BR>GCFL-discuss@gcfl.net<BR>http://gcfl.net/mailman/listinfo/gcfl-discuss<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><p>
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