The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - WHAT IS HELL?

  Is hell a hot place? Do sheol' and ha'des refer to some place where the wickedafter death?  It is plain that they do not, for we have already seen that the dead are not conscious and therefore cannot suffer. The Bible does not contradict itself with regard to the condition of those in hell. This is proved by the fact that the Bible says that Jesus was in hell. (Acts 2:31, AV, Dy) When the apostle Peter stated this on the day of Pentecost, he clearly meant that Jesus had been in the grave, not in a place of fiery torment. (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) In saying this the apostle quoted from Psalm 16:10 [15:10, Dy]. Hence the Hebrew word sheol' was used and at Acts 2:31 this word is translated by the Greek word ha'des. This shows that sheol' and ha'des refer to the same thing. The Bible "hell" is actually mankind's grave. 

As further proof of this, consider the case of Job, a righteous servant of God:  "Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell [sheol'; the grave, AV], and hide me a time when thou will remember and appoint me a time when thou will remember me. (Job 14:13, Dy] How unreasonable to think that job desired protection in hell if is a fiery-hot place! Clearly, this "hell" is simply the grave, and Job decided to go there so that his sufferings might end. Good people as well as bad people go to the Bible "hell," the common grave of all mankind. 

Next time: The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

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