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What Does the Bible Say About..Hell and Hades?

I was reading your answer to the question, "What is the difference between Hell and Hades". I agree with the literal meaning as defined by the scriptures, (i.e.) the place and occurrences that took place prior to their exile to Babylon. I believe that the problem lies with the symbolic understanding of it. First we do understand that it was a place used for idol worship to Molech and that children were burned there. We know that God condemned this behavior stating that this is something that never came up in his heart... In other words, God is saying through his prophet, I would never have thought of doing something so disgusting. Okay, so we are left with the usage of the word in the Greek scriptures. Again, God has not changed. If it never came into his heart then, it will and has not come into his heart at any time. He does not change.

Also consider the text at Acts 2:27 - 36. Here Jesus is said to have been in Hades or Hell for parts of 3 days. We are reminded here that God promised that he would not forget his loyal one there. Jesus was the most righteous man that ever existed and would never have been placed in a place of torment by his father who loved him. The Valley of the Sons of Hinnom was used to completely destroy unwanted things, i.e.; Criminals, trash, dead animals, etc... The reason they were burnt, was because after being burnt, nothing would be left of them. Completely destroyed. Now consider the text in Revelation, "And death and hades were thrown into the lake of fire...". We know this is symbolic for one. So what does it mean? Well, ask ourselves a simple question, Can the physical state of death or the physical Hades be thrown into anything? NO! Not at all. So it must mean that it will not exist anymore. That being said, we can see how the rest of the prophecy in Revelation relates to this... Later John tells how Death will be no more! Neither will morning nor outcry, because the former things have been done away with. He is referring to God restoring man to everlasting life.... Sin will no longer exist at this point, therefore we have no more need for death.

I would love to and could write on this topic for hours, but I am working... But in closing, consider Job the 14th chapter... God called him a righteous man, but yet he prayed to be hidden in Sheol, later translated in the Greek scriptures as Hell or Hades. Why would he pray to go to a place of torment.

Just thought I would share this...

Answer

You continually refer to "Hades or Hell" as if they were the same thing. As I pointed out in my previous answer, to which you refer, they are not the same. Hades, although sometimes mistranslated "hell" in the King James Version, generally refers to the grave. Hell (gehenna) is, as you point out, a place of destruction and everlasting burning.

When Acts 2:27-36 talks about Jesus not being kept in hades it is referring to the grave and not hell. At no point in that passage is the word "gehenna" used. That is why it is important to distinguish between the two.

Your argument about death and hades being totally destroyed is a good one. Once the souls of men are consigned to eternal life with God or eternal punishment, then death and the grave will be no more.

You also refer to Job 14, where the word is neither hell nor hades, but sheol. This is generally translated "the grave," and is often translated in the Greek by the word "hades." As I pointed out, only once is the word used in connection with torment. Normally it simply means the grave. Such would probably have been Job's interpretation. He is simply asking to die. Even in the passage in Luke 16 Jesus says that the rich man was in hades and in torment, not necessarily that hades itself was always a place of torment.

The main thing to remember is that the words hades and hell are not interchangeable. One generally means the grave and the other a place of eternal burning which was prepared for the devil and his angels, but will also be the eventual abode of most of mankind.