The Truth about Death and Hell

The Truth about Death and Hellfire

Question 1: What is a soul, and is it immortal?

According to the Bible, a soul is simply body + breath. The word for “soul” in Genesis 2:7 is Nephesh, H5315. Basically, we do not have souls; we are souls. The Bible also says Adam became a soul, not that he received a soul separate from his body. It also says only God is immortal, we are not.

Genesis 2:7 — And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1 Timothy 6:14-16 — That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Question 2: What happens at death?

At death, the exact opposite happens from creation. Whereas creation is body + breath = a living soul/creature, at death, it is body - breath = death.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (GNB) — Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.

Question 3: Where do people go at death?

We go to the grave.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (GNB) — Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.

Genesis 3:19 — In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

John 5:28-29 — Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Job 21:13 — They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

Acts 2:29, 34 — Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day…For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand.

Question 4: What does the Bible compare death to?

Many times over, the Bible calls death a sleep. As in sleep, we are not cognizant of anything going on around us, so too, in death.

Genesis 2:2-3 — And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Job 14:12 — So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Psalms 13:3 — Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

John 11:11, 14 — These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep…Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 — But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 — Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

See also: Deut. 31:16-'Thou (Moses) shall sleep with thy fathers." 2 Sam. 7:12-"Thou (David shalt sleep with thy fathers." 1 Kings 1:21-"The king shall sleep with his fathers." 1 Kings 2:10-"So David slept with his fathers.' 1 Kings 11:21-"David slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 11:43-"Solomon slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 14:20-"He (Jeroboam) slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 14:31-"Rehoboam slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 15:8-"Abijam slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 15:24-"Asa slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 16:6-"Baasha slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 16:28-"Omri slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 22:40-"Ahab slept with his fathers." 1 Kings 22:50-"Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers." 2 Kings 8:24-"Joram slept with his fathers." 2 Kings 10:35—"Jehu slept with his fathers." 2 Kings 13:9-"Jehoahaz slept with his fathers." Job 3:13-"| should have slept." Job 7:21-"Now shall I sleep." Psalm 76:5-"They have slept their sleep." Jer. 51:39-"And sleep a perpetural sleep." Daniel 12:2-"Them that sleep in the dust." Matthew 9:24-"Is not dead, but sleepeth." John 11:11-"Lazarus sleepeth." 1 Cor. 15:6-"Some are fallen asleep." 1 Thess. 4:13-"Concerning them which are asleep." 2 Peter 3:4-"Since the fathers fell asleep."

See also: 2 Kings 13:13; 2 Kings 14:16, 22, 29: 15:7, 22, 38; 16:20; 20:21: 21:18; 24:6; 2 Chron. 9:31; 12:16; 14:1 16:13; 21:1; 26:2, 23; 27:9; 28:27; 32:33; 33:20; Job 14:12; Psalm 13:3; 76:6; 90:5; Jer. 51:57; Matt. 27:52; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52; Acts 7:60; 13:36; 1 Cor. 11:30; 15:18, 20; 1 Thess. 4:14, 15.

Question 5: Do the dead see us or know anything?

No, the dead know nothing. They cannot see us or hear us. They are not watching us from heaven or from hell.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10 — For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun…Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Job 7:9-10 — As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

Psalms 115:17 — The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.

Question 6: When do the righteous receive immortality?

God’s people receive the gift of immortality at the Second Coming of Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 — Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 — But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

John 5:28-29 — Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Question 7: When do the wicked receive their punishment, and is it eternal?

The wicked do not receive their punishment until after the millennium, and it will not be eternal. It will only last until they are consumed to ashes.

John 5:28-29 — Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Revelation 20:9-10 — And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (literally translated, “for a period of time”.

Matthew 25:41, 46 — Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 — Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Question 8: What happens to the wicked when they are punished?

They do burn, the Bible does not deny that. But they don’t burn for eternity. They only burn for as long as it takes for them to be punished for their sins, and until they become ashes.

Isaiah 47:14 — Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

Psalms 37:10, 20 — For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be…But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

Malachi 4:1-3 — For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Revelation 20:9-10 — And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (literally translated, “for a period of time”.

Nahum 1:9-10 — What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

Obadiah 1:16 — For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

Ezekiel 18:20 — The soul that sinneth, it shall die. (not live for eternity in hellfire)

Question 9: Who gets the privilege of burning for eternity?

Only the righteous will have the privilege of dwelling with the Eternal Flame. The Bible defines God as being the Everlasting and Consuming Fire.

Exodus 24:17 — And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 4:24 — For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 9:3 — Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

Hebrews 12:29 — For our God is a consuming fire.

Isaiah 33:14-17 — The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Question 10: Will God torture the wicked in eternal flame?

No, He won’t.

Nahum 1:9-10 — What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

Obadiah 1:16 — For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

1 John 4:8, 16 — He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love…And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

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